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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
‘My electric car costs have surged now my son is learning to drive'
I've been through a lot with my electric and hybrid cars. Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) and installing a charge point at home for my second-hand electric Renault Zoe took months, and I've recently battled to find any insurer to cover my battered hybrid Toyota Auris. We opted for these cars because we were keen to reduce our environmental impact, while reducing our fuel costs at the same time. What I hadn't considered was what would happen when my children wanted to learn to drive – something that, it turns out, could cost us thousands because of the pricier driving lessons and expensive insurance required to get them behind the wheel of these vehicles. We live in Hadleigh, Suffolk – my husband, Josh, a charity fundraiser, and I, a personal finance journalist, along with 17-year-old Finn, and 15-year-old George. Public transport is limited, so we're keen for them to pass their driving tests – but I had no idea how much more expensive we'd made it by opting for two automatic, environmentally friendly cars. Pricier driving lessons Manual cars are rapidly disappearing from our roads. In 2024, only 22pc of new car registrations were manual, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and more young people are taking their practical driving test in an automatic as a result. Already, almost 21pc of all passes in 2023-24 were in automatic vehicles, according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), compared with 17pc the previous year and just 5pc a decade earlier. Much of this is being fuelled by the switch to EVs, according to the AA Driving School, which predicts that one in four driving test passes will be in automatic cars by 2026. Seb Goldin, of Red Driver Training, said there had been a 16pc increase in automatic driving lesson hours at his firm between 2023 and 2024. 'This is likely accelerated by the accessibility when it comes to learning and the advent of electric cars,' he said. This trend is set to pick up pace over the next few years, due to the planned 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars – but, as we've discovered, it's adding extra costs for learner drivers. More expensive driving lessons are the first thing you'll notice. While specific prices vary depending on the area and the individual instructor, the AA Driving School quoted typical prices per hour for driving lessons as £40 for a manual car and £42 for an automatic in London, with respective prices at £38 and £40 in Edinburgh, and £35 and £36.50 in Cardiff. Just a couple of pounds difference may not sound like much, but given it takes an average of 45 hours of driving lessons (if you can access an additional 22 hours of private practice) to pass your test, learning in an automatic could add around £100 before you can even ditch the L-plates. Higher insurance costs Once you're on the road as a new driver, the real costs kick in – particularly if you're driving an EV. The average annual premium for 17 to 24-year-olds driving manual vehicles was £1,260 in April 2025, according to data from comparison website Compare the Market, but it was £1,642 for electric vehicles – a chunky 30pc more. Insurance premiums take into account the risk based on both the driver and the car they are driving, so younger drivers of EVs get clobbered both ways. Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: 'Younger drivers face higher premiums because they are statistically more likely to be involved in a claim – and the expense of repairing EVs can amplify that risk'. One in five new drivers crash within the first 12 months after passing their test, according to research by Ocean Finance, while around 37pc of 18 to 24-year-olds had at least one near miss in 2024. Automatic and electric cars also tend to cost more to purchase and repair, which again increases insurance costs. EVs are generally newer cars, with fewer second-hand models on the market compared to internal combustion engine cars. Newer cars of whatever engine type tend to have more technical functionality than older vehicles, which affects their value and repair costs. The type of driving licence you have can also push up insurance premiums. Craig Codell, electric vehicle product manager at Admiral, one of the UK's largest motor insurers, said this is because drivers with an automatic licence are more likely to make a claim than a driver with a manual one. Given the continued shift towards EVs, I worry that younger people are being priced out of learning to drive, particularly if they only have access to an EV, and their parents can't spare the extra cash. Finn has been looking for a summer job to help fund his driving, but if we weren't willing to cover the insurance and lessons he couldn't just magic up hundreds of pounds out of nowhere. 'Our car insurance leapt from £406 to £2,019' Back at home, it appears I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either way, it seems we'll have to fork out more. We face higher costs of car insurance, and for each driving lesson if Finn goes for an automatic-only driving licence. Or, we'll potentially need to stump up for extra driving lessons if Finn learns in a manual car, but doesn't have access to a manual for practice. It's frustrating that opting for more environmentally friendly vehicles should also land us with higher costs. Plus, with our car insurance up for renewal, it became apparent that our current insurers were not exactly keen to add a 17-year-old with a provisional licence to our policies. The renewal quote for our electric car with LV car insurance leapt from £392 a year to £1,134. Meanwhile, Churchill, the insurer for our hybrid car, pushed the annual premium up from £406 to £2,019. If we'd stuck with a manual Volkswagen Polo, of the same age and mileage as our electric car, the quotes after adding Finn started from £587 for a standard policy. The price rises seemed huge and made me think twice about whether we could afford to add Finn to our insurance. There's certainly no question of being able to cover him on both cars. Both companies suggested using their temporary insurance policies to cut costs – where, for example, you can insure an additional driver for up to 90 days in the policy year, split across up to five separate occasions. But this didn't sound ideal for weekend driving practice. Tech to bring prices down Thankfully, plugging our details into comparison websites revealed some less eye-watering prices. The cheapest option for both cars were telematics policies with Hastings Direct, often know as 'black box' insurance. Hastings Direct YouDrive came in at £569 for the electric car, and £490 for the hybrid. With a telematics policy, the insurer monitors your driving, either by fitting an electronic monitoring device, providing a monitoring device to plug in yourself or using an app on your smartphone. The device or app then tracks aspects of your driving, such as when, where, how far and how fast you drive, and how aggressively you brake, corner and accelerate. Drive safely, and your insurer could potentially cut your premiums. For the pleasure of driving without an insurer looking over our shoulders, I was quoted £610 for a stripped-down essentials policy for the hybrid, or £626 for a higher-rated policy with a lower excess. Premiums for the electric car rose to £749 and £802 for the same policies, but there were cheaper options elsewhere from around £650. Based on the insurance costs, I've added Finn to the hybrid policy rather than the electric. It's a shame, because the electric car is smaller, and therefore easier for a learner to park – and it has lower running costs.
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Moment 'cowardly' driver flees crash after killing boy, 2, with stolen Porsche
Sharjeel Shahzad, 30, was branded 'callous and cowardly' when he was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for crashing into a family's car and killing a two-year-old boy Horrifying footage caught the moment a "cowardly" driver smashed a stolen Porsche into a family's car and ran away, leaving a two-year-old boy dead. Sharjeel Shahzad, 30, was thrown in prison for more than 15 years after the hit-and-run in Smethwick, West Midlands. Shahzad had been banned from driving at the time and was awaiting a court date for dangerous driving. Despite this, the 30-year-old jumped behind the wheel of a stolen Porsche Cayenne and smashed into the other car while he was veering onto the wrong side of the road just before 11pm on December 14. Shocking footage showed the Porsche swerving down a road in the West Midlands in the evening. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard he had been driving at speeds of up to 50mph that night. Shahzad was then seen overtaking a vehicle while approaching a blind bend before losing control of the car, which had false plates. The driver then moved to the opposite side of the road where he crashed into an unsuspecting Toyota Auris. The Toyota was being driven by Baljeet Singh, who had been at a family member's birthday party with his wife and pals. This collision left two-year-old Shehbaz Singh dead and his mum, Kushpreet Kaur, sustained severe brain injuries. The two-year-old boy had been unrestrained in the backseats of the car and his mum has not yet been told her baby died. A fourth person, Amritpal Singh, was also in the Toyota that evening. The sickening footage showed Shahzad jump out of his crashed stolen car before running away from the scene. Shahzad was due to be in court just nine days after the fatal crash, on December 23, for a 19-minute, 30-mile pursuit he had with police in a stolen Audi on June 10. He had reached speeds of 150mph during the pursuit. The 30-year-old also tried to flee the scene during this incident but was caught by police. Shahzad had then been banned from driving for six months in October 2024 for driving without due care and attention, but this did not stop him from getting behind the wheel again. He was sentenced to 15 years and four months behind bars for causing death by dangerous driving. Judge Jonathan Gosling told the court the impact of the fatal collision was "catastrophic". The judge said: "You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy." He added: "You are not only a dangerous man, you are callous and cowardly." The judge slammed him for fleeing the scene and said: "His only interest was to disappear. He was arrested two days later and denied being in the Porsche at the time. "He complained he was being compelled to drive this way by men he feared. No one compelled him to drive like that. He ran from the car knowing he must, at the very least, have caused very serious injury to those in the Toyota." Shahzad had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the incident. He also admitted to driving without a licence or insurance and failing to stop after a crash.
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Moment ‘cowardly' driver runs away after smashing stolen Porsche into family's car & killing boy, 2, in hit-and-run
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOCKING footage shows the moment a "callous and cowardly" speeding driver ran away after killing a two-year-old boy in a hit and run. Sharjeel Shahzad was jailed for more than 15 years after he crashed a stolen Porsche Cayenne into a family's car in Smethwick, West Midlands, just before 11pm on December 14 last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Sharjeel Shahzad has been jailed for more than 15 years after a two-year-old boy died following a hit-and-run collision Credit: West Midlands Police 3 He crashed his Porsche head on while driving dangerously and veering onto the opposite side of the road Credit: West Midlands Police 3 The cowardly criminal then took off on foot moments later Credit: West Midlands Police Shahzad already been banned from getting behind the wheel and was awaiting a court date for dangerous driving when he caused the death of a toddler and left his mum in a coma. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the 30-year-old, of Cooksey Lane, Great Barr, West Midlands, had been driving at speeds of up to 50mph. He then overtook a vehicle on approach to a sweeping blind bend on Dartmouth Road and lost control of the powerful high-powered Porsche, which had false plates. Sickening footage shows the reckless driver veering onto the opposite side of the road, into a Toyota Auris being driven by Baljeet Singh. Cowardly Shahzad is seen moments later fleeing his vehicle without a second thought for the victims he left behind. The criminal was caught on camera running without looking back as other shocked motorists came to a halt following the horror smash. Baljeet, who was driving the other car, had been out celebrating a family birthday with his wife and friends that evening. Also in the car were Amritpal Singh, Kushpreet Kaur and their two-year-old son Shehbaz Singh. Shehbaz, who was unrestrained in the back of the Toyota, was pronounced dead, despite efforts to save him at the scene and at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Ms Kaur suffered severe injuries to her brain and is still in hospital. She has not been told her son has died. The court also heard Shahzad had been due to face court on December 23 in connection with a 19-minute, 30-mile pursuit he led police on in a stolen Audi on June 10. Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street Shahzad reached speeds of almost 150mph as he tried to evade officers, heard the court. He was only stopped when police rammed the Audi and he tried to flee the scene but was apprehended. Shahzad had also been arrested for a similar incident the day before on June 9 but this case was not continued. In October 2024, Shahzad was banned from driving for six months, despite only having a provisional driving licence, for driving without due care and attention. Jailing him for 15 years and four months for causing the death by dangerous driving of Shehbaz Singh, Judge Jonathan Gosling said the impact of the fatal collision was "catastrophic". He said: "You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy." The judge said Shahzad's "true character is revealed" by the fact he fled after the fatal collision with no regard for the hurt he had caused. He added: "You are not only a dangerous man, you are callous and cowardly." Shahzad was given sentences of 15 months for dangerous driving on June 10, three years each for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and four months for driving while disqualified, all of which will run concurrently. While there was no evidence Shahzad was the one who stole the Porsche, by the time of the collision, it had false registration plates on which his fingerprint was found. 'CALLOUS AND COWARDLY' Judge Gosling said Shahzad had "completely disregarded the consequences" of his actions when he fled the scene, adding: "His only interest was to disappear. He was arrested two days later and denied being in the Porsche at the time. "He complained he was being compelled to drive this way by men he feared. No one compelled him to drive like that. "He ran from the car knowing he must, at the very least, have caused very serious injury to those in the Toyota." Defending Shahzad, Nicholas Berry told the court the defendant's life had "spiralled in the most reckless manner" in the lead-up to the collision as his long-term relationship had ended and he had lost work. He had written a letter to the judge expressing his remorse for what happened. He pleaded guilty to the charges he faced at a hearing on April 11. Judge Gosling also made Shahzad, who sat in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit and showed no emotion, subject to a three-year extended licence and banned him from driving for eight years upon his release. He must also take an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive. The judge recognised the efforts of two people who tried to help those in the Toyota and called out to Shahzad to stop as he fled by awarding them £500 each.
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Moment ‘cowardly' driver runs away after smashing stolen Porsche into family's car & killing boy, 2, in hit-and-run
SHOCKING footage shows the moment a "callous and cowardly" speeding driver ran away after killing a two-year-old boy in a hit and run. Sharjeel Shahzad was jailed for more than 15 years after he crashed a stolen Porsche Cayenne into a family's car in Smethwick, West Midlands, just before 11pm on December 14 last year. Advertisement 3 Sharjeel Shahzad has been jailed for more than 15 years after a two-year-old boy died following a hit-and-run collision Credit: West Midlands Police 3 He crashed his Porsche head on while driving dangerously and veering onto the opposite side of the road Credit: West Midlands Police 3 The cowardly criminal then took off on foot moments later Credit: West Midlands Police Shahzad already been banned from getting behind the wheel and was awaiting a court date for dangerous driving when he caused the death of a toddler and left his mum in a coma. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the 30-year-old, of Cooksey Lane, Great Barr, West Midlands, had been driving at speeds of up to 50mph. He then overtook a vehicle on approach to a sweeping blind bend on Dartmouth Road and lost control of the powerful high-powered Porsche, which had false plates. Sickening footage shows the reckless driver veering onto the opposite side of the road, into a Toyota Auris being driven by Baljeet Singh. Advertisement Cowardly Shahzad is seen moments later fleeing his vehicle without a second thought for the victims he left behind. The criminal was caught on camera running without looking back as other shocked motorists came to a halt following the horror smash. Baljeet, who was driving the other car, had been out celebrating a family birthday with his wife and friends that evening. Also in the car were Amritpal Singh, Kushpreet Kaur and their two-year-old son Shehbaz Singh. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking Exclusive Shehbaz, who was unrestrained in the back of the Toyota, was pronounced dead, despite efforts to save him at the scene and at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Ms Kaur suffered severe injuries to her brain and is still in hospital. She has not been told her son has died. The court also heard Shahzad had been due to face court on December 23 in connection with a 19-minute, 30-mile pursuit he led police on in a stolen Audi on June 10. Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street Shahzad reached speeds of almost 150mph as he tried to evade officers, heard the court. Advertisement He was only stopped when police rammed the Audi and he tried to flee the scene but was apprehended. Shahzad had also been arrested for a similar incident the day before on June 9 but this case was not continued. In October 2024, Shahzad was banned from driving for six months, despite only having a provisional driving licence, for driving without due care and attention. Jailing him for 15 years and four months for causing the death by dangerous driving of Shehbaz Singh, Judge Jonathan Gosling said the impact of the fatal collision was "catastrophic". Advertisement He said: "You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy." The judge said Shahzad's "true character is revealed" by the fact he fled after the fatal collision with no regard for the hurt he had caused. He added: "You are not only a dangerous man, you are callous and cowardly." Shahzad was given sentences of 15 months for dangerous driving on June 10, three years each for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and four months for driving while disqualified, all of which will run concurrently. Advertisement While there was no evidence Shahzad was the one who stole the Porsche, by the time of the collision, it had false registration plates on which his fingerprint was found. 'CALLOUS AND COWARDLY' Judge Gosling said Shahzad had "completely disregarded the consequences" of his actions when he fled the scene, adding: "His only interest was to disappear. He was arrested two days later and denied being in the Porsche at the time. "He complained he was being compelled to drive this way by men he feared. No one compelled him to drive like that. "He ran from the car knowing he must, at the very least, have caused very serious injury to those in the Toyota." Advertisement Defending Shahzad, Nicholas Berry told the court the defendant's life had "spiralled in the most reckless manner" in the lead-up to the collision as his long-term relationship had ended and he had lost work. He had written a letter to the judge expressing his remorse for what happened. He pleaded guilty to the charges he faced at a hearing on April 11. Judge Gosling also made Shahzad, who sat in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit and showed no emotion, subject to a three-year extended licence and banned him from driving for eight years upon his release. Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun He must also take an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive. The judge recognised the efforts of two people who tried to help those in the Toyota and called out to Shahzad to stop as he fled by awarding them £500 each.
Rhyl Journal
05-07-2025
- Rhyl Journal
‘Cowardly' speeding driver who fled after killing toddler in crash is jailed
Sharjeel Shahzad had already been banned from getting behind the wheel and was awaiting a court date for dangerous driving when he caused the death of a toddler in a head-on smash in Smethwick, West Midlands, just before 11pm on December 14 last year. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the 30-year-old, of Cooksey Lane, Great Barr, West Midlands, had been driving at speeds of up to 50mph before he overtook a vehicle on approach to a sweeping blind bend on Dartmouth Road and lost control of the powerful high-powered Porsche, which had false plates. He veered onto the opposite side of the road, into a Toyota Auris being driven by Baljeet Singh, who had been out celebrating a family birthday with his wife and friends that evening. Also in the car were Amritpal Singh, Kushpreet Kaur and their two-year-old son Shehbaz Singh. Shehbaz, who was unrestrained in the back of the Toyota, was pronounced dead, despite efforts to save him at the scene and at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Ms Kaur suffered severe injuries to her brain and is still in hospital. She has not been told her son has died. The court also heard Shahzad had been due to face court on December 23 in connection with a 19-minute, 30-mile pursuit he led police on in a stolen Audi on June 10, when he reached speeds of almost 150mph as he tried to evade officers. He was only stopped when police rammed the Audi and he tried to flee the scene but was apprehended. He had also been arrested for a similar incident the day before on June 9 but this case was not continued. In October 2024, Shahzad was banned from driving for six months, despite only having a provisional driving licence, for driving without due care and attention. Jailing him for 15 years and four months for causing the death by dangerous driving of Shehbaz Singh, Judge Jonathan Gosling said the impact of the fatal collision was 'catastrophic'. He said: 'You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy.' The judge said Shahzad's 'true character is revealed' by the fact he fled after the fatal collision with no regard for the hurt he had caused. He added: 'You are not only a dangerous man, you are callous and cowardly.' Shahzad was given sentences of 15 months for dangerous driving on June 10, three years each for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and four months for driving while disqualified, all of which will run concurrently. While there was no evidence Shahzad was the one who stole the Porsche, by the time of the collision, it had false registration plates on which his fingerprint was found. Judge Gosling said Shahzad had 'completely disregarded the consequences' of his actions when he fled the scene, adding: 'His only interest was to disappear. He was arrested two days later and denied being in the Porsche at the time. 'He complained he was being compelled to drive this way by men he feared. No one compelled him to drive like that. 'He ran from the car knowing he must, at the very least, have caused very serious injury to those in the Toyota.' Defending Shahzad, Nicholas Berry told the court the defendant's life had 'spiralled in the most reckless manner' in the lead-up to the collision as his long-term relationship had ended and he had lost work. He had written a letter to the judge expressing his remorse for what happened. He pleaded guilty to the charges he faced at a hearing on April 11. Judge Gosling also made Shahzad, who sat in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit and showed no emotion, subject to a three-year extended licence and banned him from driving for eight years upon his release. He must also take an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive. The judge recognised the efforts of two people who tried to help those in the Toyota and called out to Shahzad to stop as he fled by awarding them £500 each.
