Firefly Sport EV: the electric sports car helping kids be safer drivers
Here’s a sobering statistic: 20 percent of newly qualified drivers will crash within six months of passing their test. However, with tuition via the Young Driver scheme, that number tumbles to less than 10 percent.
Young Driver is the UK’s largest driving school for children, with 70 venues across the country. Kids aged 10-17 can get behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Corsa, but the coolest car – the new Firefly Sport EV – is reserved for those aged 4-10.
Powered by 12-volt batteries and two 24-volt motors, the Firefly Sport looks like a shrunken supercar and boasts a top speed of up to 25mph. We enlisted the help of a youthful volunteer to bring you our first drive verdict…
‘An authentic experience’
In truth, my son Thomas – at 12 years old – is already beyond the Firefly Sport’s target age range. But he gamely accepted the assignment, jumping aboard the electric roadster at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire.
With an aluminium chassis, independent suspension, alloy wheels and rack-and-pinion steering, the Firefly is designed to offer ‘an authentic motoring experience’. It can be recharged via solar panels and, for nervous parents, a remote cut-off switch can stop the car from 200 metres away. There’s also an optional roof if the weather turns a bit ‘British’.
Speaking of which, the Firefly Sport is also a fully homegrown effort. The chassis is constructed in Coventry, the body in Huddersfield, the electric motors are made in Bournemouth and the batteries come from Bromsgrove.
Need for speed
Thomas liked the Firefly Sport’s “mini McLaren” styling and found its two-seat cabin quite roomy, despite being designed for younger children. The biggest draw, though, was the tablet-style dashboard, with digital dials, a reversing camera, music streaming and ‘more than 1,000 sound effects’. Take that, Tesla.
Around a road-style course marked out by cones, Thomas quickly got to grips with the Firefly’s simple controls. His initial aim was to go as fast as possible, but soon he was using the indicators, stopping at junctions, reverse-parking and driving (almost) like a grown-up.
“That was a really fun experience,” said Thomas after handing back the £11,500 Firefly (“worth more than your car, dad”) in one piece. “It was easy to drive, actually, but harder to remember all the rules of the road.”
Investing in the future
Sessions in the Firefly Sport cost £20 for 15 minutes and can be booked via the Young Driver website. If you have a child aged 10+, lessons with a fully qualified instructor in a Corsa cost from £40.
Speaking about the Young Driver initiative, Fifth Gear presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson said: I strongly believe in getting behind the wheel as soon as possible. You don’t have to aim for a career as a driver – learning early will be a huge benefit for anyone”.
As for Thomas, he’s keen for another go. If it prevents him following his dad’s example – of rear-ending a BMW the day after my driving test – it could be a wise investment.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research