The electric driving experience: what really changes behind the wheel

By the editorial team Auto Sport Gaming · 30 September 2026

In short: Behind the wheel, an electric car stands out in three ways: instantly available torque, unusual quietness, and a highly stable ride due to the battery's low positioning. Regenerative braking completely changes how you slow down, rewarding anticipation. On Belgian roads, speed and heating have a heavier impact on consumption than driving style alone.

Contents

• Why does an electric car feel so responsive from the very first meters?

• How does the silent engine actually change the driving experience?

• Why does road holding feel more grounded than in a combustion engine vehicle?

• How does regenerative braking transform the way you slow down?

• Which eco-driving habits actually work on Belgian roads?

• Why do heating and weather have such a big impact on consumption?

• How can you balance driving pleasure and efficiency on a daily basis?

• Frequently asked questions

Why does an electric car feel so responsive from the very first meters?

Because an electric motor's torque is instantly available, with no need to build up revs or shift gears. The throttle response is direct, creating an immediate sense of agility the moment the wheels start turning.

In a combustion engine, power builds up gradually. It requires a certain RPM and sometimes a downshift, leaving a split-second delay between pressing the accelerator and actually feeling the acceleration. An electric motor works differently: maximum torque is present even at a standstill. The vehicle's movement mirrors the pedal almost instantaneously, in seamless continuity, free from gearbox jolts since there are no gears to shift through.

This is often the first surprise reported by Belgian drivers getting behind the wheel of an electric car after years of driving combustion engine vehicles. It isn't because the car is aggressive, but rather because power delivery is so linear. Pulling away at a traffic light, merging onto a highway on-ramp, or accelerating to pass a truck on a national road: each of these maneuvers requires far less mechanical anticipation than before.

This linearity has a very real impact on how you drive. Without an RPM range to hunt for, you stop relying on engine noise and vibrations, and start driving by feel. Your right foot becomes a much more precise tool for modulation, and this exact finesse is what ultimately drives energy-efficient driving.

Getting the hang of it takes a few days

Your first few trips may feel a bit jerky. A habit carried over from combustion engines is pressing the pedal more firmly to compensate for engine lag; in an EV, that extra pressure translates directly into faster-than-intended acceleration. Most drivers unlearn this reflex within a few days simply by lightening their foot on the pedal.

A second adjustment involves braking. Because the car decelerates the moment you lift off the accelerator, the coasting distance is no longer the same. You have to relearn how to gauge where the car will naturally stop if you do nothing, which usually takes a full trip or two.

How does the silent engine actually change the driving experience?

Silence removes the main auditory cue of combustion driving, shifting your focus to tire roll, wind, and surrounding traffic. While this makes long journeys less tiring, it demands greater vigilance in city environments.

In a traditional car, your ears provide constant feedback: climbing revs, idling, the engine straining on an incline. In an electric car, these signals practically vanish at lower speeds. What remains is the rumble of tires on the pavement, the whistle of wind around the side mirrors at high speeds, and outside noises—including those you never noticed before.

On the Belgian road network, the difference is particularly noticeable on the concrete surfaces of certain highway stretches, where tire noise becomes the dominant sound. Conversely, in residential areas or urban centers, the car becomes so quiet it can go completely unnoticed. Pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooters don't always hear it coming, which makes heightened alertness essential near schools, shared zones, and shopping streets.

Silence also has a less obvious effect on fatigue. On a long drive, the lack of mechanical vibration and engine noise reduces sensory overload. Many drivers find they arrive feeling more refreshed after a highway trip. This is a significant perk in a country where you can cross multiple regions in a short time, and where daily commutes often take a while, even over short distances.

Why does road holding feel more grounded than in a combustion engine vehicle?

Because the battery is integrated into the floorboard, lowering the center of gravity and distributing the weight across both axles. The car experiences less body roll and feels much more stable in fast sweeping curves and high crosswinds.

The most frequently described sensation is that the car "corners flat." When entering a turn, weight transfer is much more contained, the driver's body shifts less, and maintaining the driving line requires fewer steering corrections. This feeling of stability is especially apparent through a series of roundabouts—which are very common on secondary Belgian roads—where the car shifts naturally from one side to the other.

However, that weight plays a role the other way too: an electric car is generally heavier than a combustion vehicle of a similar size. This bulk is particularly noticeable during sharp, sudden changes in direction and under heavy braking. It also explains why tire wear requires close monitoring, and why proper tire pressure directly impacts both handling and energy consumption.

Crosswinds are another interesting area to observe. On exposed coastal routes, over viaducts, and along the wide, open highways of Hainaut or the Kempen, an EV feels far more planted than a tall vehicle with a high center of gravity. It's not a matter of power, but of weight distribution.

How does regenerative braking transform the way you slow down?

When you lift your foot off the accelerator, the motor acts as a generator: it slows the car down while recovering some of the kinetic energy. Slowing down is no longer a total loss; it becomes a useful action.

In practical terms, deceleration kicks in the moment you release the accelerator, without ever touching the brake pedal. The intensity of this braking effect can be adjusted on most models, either via a driving mode or with steering wheel paddles. Some drivers prefer a gentle deceleration, similar to coasting, to maintain momentum on open roads. Others opt for more aggressive regeneration, which is highly efficient in city traffic and going downhill.

One-pedal driving

With a high level of regeneration engaged, you can manage a large portion of your urban driving using just the accelerator. You modulate both moving forward and slowing down with the same foot, only tapping the brake pedal for a complete stop or in an emergency. This "one-pedal driving" takes a brief adjustment period but quickly becomes incredibly relaxing in the heavy stop-and-go traffic of city rings and major urban arteries.

What regeneration doesn't replace

Regenerative braking never eliminates the need for mechanical brakes. It loses efficiency when the battery is already fully charged—for example, if you start a trip with a long descent—and during hard braking when the stopping power required exceeds what the motor can absorb. Keep in mind that using regeneration almost exclusively means your brake discs see very little action, making them more prone to surface rust in Belgium's damp climate. Giving the brakes a firm press every now and then, in safe conditions, remains a healthy habit.

Which eco-driving habits actually work on Belgian roads?

Anticipation and speed management generate the biggest efficiency gains. Looking far ahead, lifting off the accelerator early, and maintaining a steady pace matter far more than any vehicle setting.

Eco-driving in an EV has little to do with driving slowly or hesitantly. It's about avoiding jerky movements: every acceleration followed by a harsh brake turns energy into heat, and even the best regeneration system only recovers a fraction of it. The most economical driver is the one who rarely needs to hit the brakes.

• Look far ahead, all the way to the next traffic light or the front of a traffic jam, so you can lift your foot before the flow of cars even slows down.

• Adapt your speed to the general flow of traffic rather than reacting solely to the car immediately in front of you.

• Use cruise control or adaptive cruise control on the highway to avoid micro-fluctuations on the pedal.

• Select the most suitable regeneration level: strong in the city and on descents, gentler on open roads to preserve momentum.

• Regularly check tire pressure, which impacts both rolling resistance and overall handling.

The crucial role of speed

Wind resistance increases dramatically with speed. This is the single biggest factor explaining the gap between urban and highway energy consumption. In an electric vehicle, this gap is the exact reverse of a combustion car: a battery-powered car shines brightest in urban and suburban driving—matching the profile of most Belgian commutes—while consuming more energy when maintaining high speeds over long distances.

In practice, slightly reducing your cruising speed on the highway yields an immediate, visible improvement on your trip computer. Given the short distances and frequent interchanges between Belgian cities, pacing yourself ultimately costs very little in terms of actual travel time.

Adapting your driving to the terrain

Why do heating and weather have such a big impact on consumption?

Because an electric car doesn't benefit from the waste heat of a combustion engine, warming the cabin draws energy directly from the battery. Cold weather thus hits you with a double whammy, affecting both comfort and efficiency.

In a combustion car, heating is practically free because it captures engine heat. In an EV, that heat has to be generated from scratch. On chilly days, the climate control system becomes the second-largest energy draw after actually propelling the car. This explains the noticeable drops in range you experience between a mild afternoon and a freezing winter morning.

The Belgian climate—damp and frequently chilly, though rarely extreme—calls for a few simple habits:

• Precondition the cabin while the car is still plugged in, so it's already warm when you leave.

• Prioritize the heated steering wheel and heated seats, which warm the driver directly using far less energy than blasting the cabin heater.

• Avoid running the defroster longer than necessary, and use a scraper on the windshield rather than relying entirely on the blower.

• Keep windows rolled up and remove unused roof racks, which ruin your aerodynamics.

• Keep in mind that a cold battery is less receptive to regeneration for the first few miles, meaning deceleration might feel notably weaker at the start of your drive.

Rain and wet pavement also play a role by increasing rolling resistance. While this isn't unique to electric vehicles, it's far more obvious because the trip computer displays real-time energy consumption, making the driver much more hyper-aware of these fluctuations than they used to be.

How can you balance driving pleasure and efficiency on a daily basis?

The two aren't mutually exclusive: the smooth pacing and anticipation that make for economical driving are the exact same qualities that make driving smooth and enjoyable. The pleasure stems from precision, not just raw speed.

Many drivers fear that eco-friendly driving means boring driving. Experience proves otherwise. Clean driving in an EV involves chaining together long, flowing phases, entering bends at the correct speed to minimize mid-corner corrections, and playing with regenerative braking like a fully adjustable engine brake. It’s an anticipatory style of driving, very much in tune with what driving purists look for on open roads.

The Belgian context is perfectly suited for this. Distances between cities are short, the secondary road network is dense and varied, and the topography shifts dramatically between the flat plains of Flanders and the winding roads of the Ardennes. This kind of terrain rewards reading the road far more than raw horsepower.

Volkswagen Belgium summarizes its approach to electrification this way:

"Volkswagen is developing a comprehensive range of electric cars brought together under the ID. family, symbolizing the brand's vision of sustainable mobility. The compact and efficient Volkswagen ID.3 Neo offers up to 627 km of range (WLTP), while the ID.4 and ID.7 blend spaciousness with electric performance. These models embody Volkswagen’s vision of innovative, accessible, zero-emission mobility, underpinned by the dedicated MEB platform for electric vehicles."

There remains one often-overlooked point: drivers have to be willing to unlearn. Habits accumulated over years of combustion driving, like downshifting before a hill or braking late, are no longer useful. Overriding them takes a few weeks, and it's precisely during this transition period that you'll see the biggest consumption gaps between two drivers in the exact same model.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really have to drive slowly to be efficient in an EV?

No. What matters is consistency, not sluggishness. A steady pace and strong anticipation are far more effective than creeping along while constantly starting and stopping. That being said, reining in your speed on the highway does have a clear benefit, as wind resistance climbs sharply the faster you go.

Is one-pedal driving for everyone?

It does take a few trips to get used to. Some drivers adopt it for good, while others prefer a softer regeneration setting to keep that traditional coasting sensation. Selectable driving modes let you switch between the two depending on the situation, though the most aggressive regeneration is usually a favorite in heavy city traffic.

Does regenerative braking reduce brake wear?

Yes, the brake pads and discs do significantly less work since the motor handles the bulk of deceleration. However, it's still a good idea to engage the mechanical brakes from time to time in a damp climate like Belgium's, just to keep surface rust from building up on the rotors.

Is an electric car fun to drive on hilly roads?

Absolutely. You can tackle steep climbs without downshifting or revving the engine, and the descents allow you to recover a chunk of the energy you just spent going up. On the winding roads of the Ardennes and Condroz, this up-and-down rhythm creates a wonderfully smooth drive that really highlights the electric motor's flexibility.

Why does the displayed consumption fluctuate so much from trip to trip?

Because multiple factors stack up: average speed, outside temperature, climate control use, topography, passenger/cargo weight, tire pressure, and driving style. Consequently, the exact same route can show drastically different numbers depending on the season and conditions, without there being anything wrong with the car.

How long does it take to get comfortable behind the wheel?

Most drivers feel perfectly at ease after a few days of daily use. Modulating the accelerator and judging deceleration distances require a bit of focus at first, but quickly become second nature.

Key Takeaways

• Instantaneous torque creates a linear driving experience, eliminating the lag associated with gear shifts.

• A silent engine drastically reduces fatigue on long trips but demands higher alertness in city environments.

• The low-mounted battery lowers the center of gravity, drastically improving stability in corners and against crosswinds.

• Regenerative braking enables one-pedal driving and rewards anticipation, though it doesn't entirely replace mechanical brakes.

• Speed and cabin heating are the top two drains on energy consumption, especially in winter.

• Economical driving and enjoyable driving rely on the exact same reflexes: reading the road ahead and avoiding jerky movements.