Lindsay Brown, Strategy Director, Green.TV Media
I’ve experienced three different electric cars so far, and the one thing I find is that it becomes normal very, very quickly.
You experience the same highs and the same lows driving an electric car as you do a petrol car. It all depends on what kind of driver you are.
I’m someone who loves open roads.
Driving up a country road, no one in front, no one behind, windows down, music blaring, and just letting the car do its thing. I simply enjoy being on the road, particularly first thing in the morning when no one else is out.
This simple pleasure is even better in an electric car. When I open the windows, all I can hear is the tires on the road and the birds in the trees, waking up to dawn. I don’t listen to the engine, and even better, I don’t smell the engine. And I know that I’m not polluting my beautiful countryside. What more could I ask for?
I also have the same incidences. I forget to fill up my petrol, or more to the point, I chance it.
I’ll have a look and see, I’ve got 50 miles left in the tank and think well I don’t need to go that far next time I drive, I’ll pass the station next time, so I’ll just fill up on the way. Lo and behold, I’m half an hour late to every family gathering.
The same thing’s true when I drive an EV
I’ll have a look, I’ll see how many miles left, I’ll know how far I’ve got to go, and I’ll think, yeah, I’ll make it. I’ll get home, I’ll charge when I get there, or I won’t bother plugging in overnight, it’s got loads of miles. I’m lucky, I’m not someone with kids, I’m not someone with old relatives and emergencies. I can chance it, and if I run out of fuel or I run out of charge, I’ll make it work. It’s an inconvenience, but hey, any excuse to stop at Gloucester Services, and I’m happy.
So driving an EV just the same. Because I’m the same driver. I’m going to do the same things with my car. Except that the fun things are gonna be a bit more fun.
And the times when I’m an idiot and don’t bother charging. Do you know what? It’s exactly the same as when I drive a petrol car. The benefits, for me, really outweigh the negatives. Yes, if I forget to charge my car, it is an absolute pain, and I have to go and find a particular place I can charge, and I might have to pay a little bit more because I’ve been stupid.
But when I get out, first thing in the morning, on that open country road, the moment my foot hits the pedal, that electric car goes like a race car. That 0-60 in who knows how many seconds is just incredible. And whether that’s a VW E-Up or the Tesla Model 3, it’s that same feeling. You hit the floor and it just goes. There’s no hesitation. There’s no pause. The car moves like I move. And I’ll be honest, it’s a little bit fast.
So, all my worries about what driving an electric car is going to be like, what it’s going to be like trying to find a charging point, all of those things, they’re equaled out by how fun it is to drive. And the fact that my beautiful morning drives are absolutely perfect.
