Oh , it’s still there, and I was apprehensive about it right up to the day it arrived. The sense of passion was was just stunned into acceptance of the “other way” by the sudden realisation that I was spending enough on fuel every month to finance another decent car. As a life long engineer in the business of generating the ‘angry pixies’, electric motoring has long been on my personal horizon anyway, So, a bold experiment commenced to find the answer, can I live with an electric car as my only car?
A Nissan Leaf I borrowed a couple of years ago said ‘No’. No way, forget it, this is just to much of a pain to live with. It sold me on the concept, but the downsides were awful. 100 mile range added yet another layer of torment to the visit to the mother-in-law since she’s 55 miles away. Waiting at the only public charger for miles while some utter bell-end hogged the charger to top up his hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV nearly had me raging as the fake EV owner denied me my escape. The drive though was quite pleasant. Moreover it was quiet, and quiet equals relaxing. More range required, definitely more performance needed, and the compulsory sterilisation of all hybrid owners who plug in anywhere outside of home is a must, but that first foray into electric had promise.
In the meantime, I electrified a bicycle. Suddenly I had enough power to go anywhere, even ‘up’ flights of stairs, and could cruise along at over 30mph, with a range sufficient to cycle all day for only 12p a charge. The fuel costs are tiny.
The arrival in the uk last June of the Model 3 Tesla meant a decent affordable car with long range and access to the Tesla supercharger network, at a stroke removing obstacle #1 from the long list of potential downsides of EV’s, the PITA factor of public charging networks. They truly are awful. Standing about in the rain for 20minutes playing with a multitude of apps on your phone trying to get the chargers to talk to your car is painful. I was going to get the jag I-pace, but the reliance on these awful chargers prevented it. Tesla Superchargers are widespread, fast and only Tesla’s can use them. Mr selfish in his poxy plug in can go boil his head, as he’s not allowed near them. They’re also easy. Drive up, plug in, the charge starts immediately and pumps juice in so fast you can be on your way with 200 miles of added range after a quick pee and a coffee. Range issues are eradicated, since there’s always a supercharger or a half decent public D.C. charger within reach. This means you can treat an electric car like any other, with the added bonus that you can fill it up at home, meaning you start each and every day with a full tank. This alone eradicates the need for filling up away from home on all but the longest journeys. I haven’t been to petrol station since November.
As for the passion? To be honest, the Tesla has all the handling feel of the S3 (i.e. minimal) with a lot more space, extreme quiet, the ability to drive itself in traffic jams, and enough standing start performance to rearrange internal organs. They’re often accused of being one trick ponies, drag race specialists, and rubbish in corners, but since that was by and large the way I felt about my S3, I’m no worse off in that regard. It’s fine for the average mortal, and there is nothing in the world that will beat off the line without attracting the attention of the old bill. It’s a silent missile,
I now have a comfortable c.500hp four wheel drive saloon car with a rear drive bias, that goes like a rocket and yet still does the equivalent of 120mpg. I’m loath to be one of those ****** EV evangelists that constant bang on about the future, but honestly, my faithful old Volvo, and especially my current Ford ranger, both now feel like I’m driving stephensons rocket in comparison.
I’m also 3000 miles in, and I’ve only spent £100 on ‘fuel’. There’s definitely something in this electric car lark...
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