Man shares 5 items you need to have if you're driving an electric car for the first time

This YouTuber is letting you know which five items you need – the EV essentials – if you’re driving an electric car for the first time.

Switching to electric sounds easy – no gas, no engine noise, just plug in and drive. But for first-timers, it can be more stressful than it looks.

When UK-based YouTuber Driven by Alex bought his first EV – a used Nissan Leaf – he quickly found out just how much gear you need to make it work.

Now he’s providing a crash course in EV ownership, breaking down the electric car essentials that made his life easier, cheaper, and way less frustrating.

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The five items you need for driving an electric car

Alex’s first headache came the moment he tried to charge. His Nissan Leaf came with a Type 1 plug – which doesn’t fit most of the newer UK charging stations.

So he picked up a Type 1-to-Type 2 adapter. Without it, he couldn’t plug in at most public stations. That alone made the car usable again – and tops his list of electric car essentials.

But knowing where to charge was the next challenge. That’s where apps like Zap Map and Octopus Electroverse came in. They helped him find stations, check availability, compare prices, and avoid broken units.

While most chargers now support contactless, these apps still help plan routes and save money. Any solid list of electric car essentials needs a good charging app.

At home, things weren’t much better. He didn’t have a wallbox – they can cost over $1,000 – so he used a regular three-pin plug in the garage.

The problem? The cable didn’t reach.

So he bought an industrial-grade extension lead rated for high current. Unlike regular cords, this one won’t melt under load. For a budget EV setup, it was a must.

Then came convenience.

Every night, Alex had to open the garage, drag out the cable, plug it in, then reverse the whole process in the morning.

To fix that, he installed a wall-mounted hook. It cost under $10 and let him hang the cable neatly by the driveway. It might not be glamorous, but it makes daily charging smoother, thus earning a spot on this list.

And finally, the item he didn’t know he needed until it saved him: a compact air compressor.

After a slow puncture nearly left him stranded, he replaced his battery-powered pump with a plug-in model. It connects to the 12V socket, shows live PSI, and shuts off automatically.

A quiet hero in the boot, and the final piece of his EV essentials setup.

What it’s really like driving electric on a budget

Alex’s story shows that EV life isn’t always plug-and-play. Especially if you’re starting out with an older car and no home charging system.

From charging adapters to tire trouble, it’s the little things that catch you out. But solving them doesn’t have to break the bank.

A plug adapter, a charger app, an industrial extension lead, a cable hook, and a portable air pump – these are the EV essentials that helped Alex make EV life work.

And if you’re getting stressed thinking about driving an electric car for the first time, he may have just given you the heads up that saves you a headache.

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