How to source a driving school car

A very common question I get asked relates to sourcing the driving school car.  Many people who come into the industry have this impression that you need to have the very latest, incredibly expensive, snazzy driving school car possible.  You can do this, of course, if you like; there are plenty of dealerships out there who will offer very tempting contract purchase/lease deals.  You can reasonably expect to pay something in the region of £200-£250 per month for those kinds of deals.  

Interestingly, compare that kind of outlay with a franchise arrangement with one of the big national driving schools, where they provide a car, and you will see the costs spiralling upwards, up to four times as much.

Alternatively, there is always the second-hand market.  An instructor with BIG TOM took this option, where the initial outlay was a few thousand pounds, and that cost was very quickly replenished once he started providing BIG TOM intensive driving courses.  Not everyone has the ability to put their hands on a few thousand, but if you do, this is certainly an option to consider.  

It is worth giving this some thought.  I know of many newly qualified instructors who tie in to a fixed contract with a big national school and commit to paying large fees per week, just because a car is being provided.  It can be soul-destroying to see all your hard work simply lining the pockets of the franchisor.

Should you now be considering electric?  A tricky one to call.  I think there are still some questions to be asked about range, re-charging point availability and re-charge times.  There are still plenty of customers wanting manual tuition, however, there is a clear market for automatics.  Personally, I would welcome both to my franchise.

Happy hunting!