New Driving Licence to be Implemented in January

As of January 1, 2024, the DGT will allow those over 16 years of age to obtain a type B1 driving licence. This is a new category for driving licences in Spain, although similar exists in some other countries, and is aimed at giving younger people more mobility.

With the new B1 licence, people between the ages of 16 and 18 will be able to drive vehicles that do not exceed 60 km/h in any case, and are technically classed as quadricycles, although that technical definition does include some small vehicles that look like cars, in the same way as what is commonly referred to as a “microcar” is, by technical definition, a moped, or ciclomotor.

This licence is considered an entry into mobility for young people, so that they can get used to driving and the realities of traffic before they move onto more powerful vehicles, so that once they reach the age of 18, they will already have a practical knowledge of the roads and will therefore, in theory, be able to continue their literal journey safer than if they start with a car.

A number of brands are already publishing information about some of the vehicles available that satisfy the criteria. Be careful though, much in the same way that microcars were advertised by some dealers as being vehicles you can “drive without a licence”, this is not true. You do need a licence, albeit not a traditional B car licence, which is why the B1 was created. You are able to drive these vehicles if you have a full class B licence incidentally, and in fact some can be driven by AM licence holders.

Citroën are offering the AMI which fulfils the characteristics, which does not even reach 50 km/h and can be obtained for around 7,000 euro depending on discounts.

The Renault Twizy e-tech measures 2.34 metres long. It has 100 kilometres of autonomy and can be purchased from 12,105 euro.

e-Aixam, the most famous European microcar brand, offers e-Aixam Coupé GTI, which has an attractive design and very good finishes. It has 130 kilometres of autonomy but will set you back over 20, 000 euro, for which you could buy a Kia Ceed, Renault Clio, or Fiat 500, and still have change.

The other benefit of the new licence is that is means that it will encourage electric mobility to be promoted, which is great news for brands and for the economy of Spain. Most of the quadricycles for sale are electric, hence the direct relationship with the growth of this sector.