Do you need a new U class licence to drive an electric vehicle?

You might have read some publicity about the arrival of a new driving licence called the U class licence having arrived in South Australia for drivers of powerful vehicles on 1^st December 2024.

So what is the new law and are you affected if you drive an EV? Check out our guide to everything you need to know:

What is the new law?

The new law saw the introduction of a new driving licence for drivers of Ultra High Performance Vehicles (or UHPVs) known as the U class licence for cars with a power to weight ratio of 276kW per tonne or more.

You might think that the cars that fall into that bracket only tend to be extreme sports cars or supercars but you’d be wrong. Some powerful EVs such as the Tesla Model S Plaid or the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT will also fall into that bracket too.

You can find out if your car is affected here.

How do you apply for the new licence and what’s involved?

To apply for a U class licence, first you need to create an account on the mySAGOV site. Once signed in, you can select the course from the drop down menu. It costs AU$51 plus a $10 administration fee and it takes around 30-45 minutes to complete.

During the course you’ll learn how to safely operate an UHPV, the risks associated with driving an UHPV and vehicle features such as Electronic Stability Control, Automated Emergency Braking and other automated intervention systems.

Once you pass the test, you need to apply for a replacement licence at the cost of $20, which will add the U class to your licence.

What happens if you drive an UHPV without a U class licence?

Put simply, don’t. It’s illegal. Driving an UHPV without a U class licence brings with the potential of a penalty of $2500 for a first offence and a year in prison for subsequent offences. It is also the responsibility of the driver to know if their vehicle is an UHPV or not.

The only occasion when you can drive an UHPV without a U class licence is if you are test driving one from a car dealer. If that’s the case you must be accompanied by someone from the dealership who has a U class licence who must be sat in the front passenger seat at all times and the car cannot exceed 100kmh while complying with the relevant speed limit.

Note, these rules only apply to test drives from a car dealer not if you’re buying a UHPV through a private sale.

Are there any exemptions?

The only exemption involves those employed at a motor vehicle-related workplace who are required to drive a UHPV on the road as part of their employment. You can check the exact details of the exemptions here.