A North Bay, Ontario man says his teenage daughter failed her G road test because she used her Tesla Model Y's regenerative braking to slow down, instead of the brake pedal.

In Canada, driver's licenses are graded based on a tiered system that varies by province. One of the most common systems is Ontario's G1, G2, G system, which includes a G1 (written test), G2 (conditional practical test), and G (full license). Other provinces, such as Alberta, have different classifications, like classes 1-7, which allow for operating professional vehicles, buses, large trucks, taxis, or motorcycles.

The teen was taking her G road test in her father's Model Y. The test, like many others worldwide, required lane changes, merging, U-turns, parallel parking, and stopping. However, when asked to stop, the girl did not use the brake pedal, relying entirely on the car's regenerative braking system.

During the test, the girl didn't use the brake but only the accelerator pedal (right) of the Model Y to stop thanks to regenerative braking. Photo: Find my electric

During the test, the girl didn't use the brake but only the accelerator pedal (right) of the Model Y to stop thanks to regenerative braking. Photo: Find my electric

Unlike gasoline-powered cars, electric vehicles (EVs) can use regenerative braking, which converts excess energy to recharge the battery. This system also slows the car through friction created by the electric motor drawing energy from the wheels. As a result, drivers can often slow down and stop simply by easing off the accelerator, a technology known as "one-pedal driving."

"Essentially, you can come to a complete stop without ever touching the brake pedal," Eric Simard said. His daughter failed her driving test because of this feature.

Simard explained his daughter borrowed his car for the test and didn't know how to disable the feature. She was reportedly told she couldn't pause the test to call her father.

Simard shared his daughter's test results with CBC News. The examiner marked a box indicating the car was "defective."

Simard added that his daughter was also penalized for another Tesla feature: a chime that sounds when a traffic light turns green.

Julia Caslin, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, stated the province's licensing system "requires drivers to demonstrate safe operation and full control of the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle's features."

"Applicants are required to understand how vehicle systems—including lane-keeping assist, regenerative braking, adaptive cruise control, and self-parking—may impact handling and performance during the road test," Caslin said.

Caslin did not specify whether there's a requirement to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop if regenerative braking is also an option.

Simard posted about his daughter's experience in an Ontario Tesla owners Facebook group. Some members said they had used regenerative braking during their road tests without issue. Others reported examiners asked them to disable the feature.

Saad Tariq, a driving instructor and owner of Greater Sudbury Driving School, said he's unaware of any written rule prohibiting the use of assistive technologies during Ontario road tests.

However, Tariq discourages his students from using these technologies. "My teaching cars don't have blind spot monitoring or backup cameras," he said. "The reality is you need to look around and do all the basic skills yourself."

Tariq noted that sensors on newer cars can be obscured by snow or dirt in poor weather conditions, rendering them ineffective. In these situations, it's crucial for drivers to know how to operate their vehicles without them.

Amanda Lacroix, an instructor at Northern Lights Driving School in the Levack community of Greater Sudbury, has mixed feelings about driver-assistance technology.

She believes using driver-assist features should be permitted in G road tests if the driver regularly uses those features in their own vehicle.

"If the world is going to change and we're all going to have driver-assist, we should learn how to do it properly," she said.

However, Lacroix agreed with Tariq that drivers should know how to operate a vehicle and use mirrors correctly, even with the latest technology.

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