On the lEVel – Daily Driving (2/4)

The best part of driving an EV is the daily thrill of instant torque, quieter driving, and, in the case of Tesla, amazing in-car driving assistance. Once you have driven an EV for a month or so, the spectre of range anxiety diminishes as you adjust to the new normal.

You quickly learn to charge as often as you can. Driving to empty and then charging only makes sense if you cannot charge at home. A small caveat here is that many EVs are recommended to charge only to 80% day to day and only fully charge up for long trips. This reduced charging helps sustain the battery. Given I work from home, I typically charge from solar panels during the day whenever I can, sharing the sun across our two EVs. Even in winter, this is just enough to keep the cars running. If necessary, we can top up the cars overnight.

EVs thrive in daily commuter travel. The regenerative braking combined with the instant torque makes driving in traffic efficient and effortless. As I mentioned, a daily round trip of 60kms is a nonissue for a Tesla charging once a week but is even more free if you are happy to charge off mains overnight. Our cars are always ready to go when we need them for normal daily use, and we never stop to “refuel.”

Now to fuel spending. A bit like a reformed smokers we get a real sense of smugness whenever we pass a petrol station with the astronomical prices and the smells and inconvenience. My car has done 24,000 Km so far. My old car used c. 8l per 100kms, so that is 1,920l of fuel at c. $2 over the last two years. That compares very favourably to the c. $300 I have spent on charging (almost all my charging is off solar panels).

When you go on longer trips or road trips, the dynamic changes and can be more daunting. Suddenly, the freedom of the road requires more thought and planning. We typically make road trips in the Tesla as the charging network is superior, and topping up the car takes at most 20-30 minutes at a supercharger. Typically, our relaxing recharge coffee stop is interrupted by my dash to unplug the car that has finished charging before I have finished my coffee.

The worst case scenario is a long day trip, say Melbourne to Sydney, during peak times or on a public holiday weekend. You will need to charge en route and may be caught in a queue of cars at a supercharger. This hasn’t happened to us, but it does happen and is much worse than queuing for petrol. For some, this scenario is a deal breaker, and I understand it. I am frustrated by EV-angelists arguing it happens so seldom this slight downside is outweighed by the other benefits. ICE cars require very few convenience trade-offs like this.

On the road trips we have taken, we have been able to charge from plug points at Air BnBs, use destination chargers at hotels and then availed ourselves on occasion of the Supercharging networks (our total supercharging bill over the last two years is less than $150). Despite trips across Tasmania and all over Victoria, we have never had cause for range anxiety. The most inconvenienced we have been was in Tassie, where we felt guilty about charging from our cabin and sought out a supercharger. It was raining, so no walk was sensible, the coffee shops had closed for the day and so we sat and watched a Netflix show in the Tesla while we charged. These trips required some thought regarding charging but no real adjustment other than where to stop for coffee.

Now to a real plus, which is maintenance and servicing. This has been an absolute revelation. The Hyundai requires annual servicing and is cheaper but still has many traditional servicing costs. Yearly cost of c. $200. The Tesla is way better and has needed one cabin filter change and tyre inspection (cost $90) in the two and half years I have owned the car. For Tesla, this involved booking the service in the app, opening the garage door on the day of the service, and chatting with the friendly service guy about EV ownership after the service. Brilliant!

There are no oils to change, no spark plugs, gaskets…. and brakes in an EV get far less wear and tear because of the regenerative braking, which helps improve the car’s range.

Finally, to driving. I am not a petrolhead (irony intended) and have never been a passionate driver, but I get a thrill out of the torque of the EVs. The instant speed is impressive and valuable. The cars feel heavy but nippy at the same time. The Tesla, in particular, is planted and powerful. The Tesla autopilot is great, but once you get over the initial thrill of overtaking “hands-free,” you settle into using it in stop-start or for dull freeway assistance. It adds to your safety if you use it as an adjunct to attentive, hands-on driving the way it is intended. In both cars, the adaptive cruise control is excellent at any speed and useful for keeping to speed limits. The Tesla helps by allowing you to tap the speed limit on the screen to adjust the cars speed.

I have read that some people find that the “jerkiness” of an EV increases the risk of car sickness. Our experience is the opposite, as once you become accustomed to regen braking, you seldom break and glide effortlessly on the curviest roads. The great ocean road, which used to cause my passenger some trouble, has been navigated without tremors in the Tesla. Given the torque, it is possible to whiplash yourself to a frenzy, but that is far more down to the component between the seat and the pedals than the car itself.

Both cars have more than enough entertainment tech. The Hyundai offers the fantastic Apple Car Play, and the Tesla in-car system is peerless.

One last comment is the longevity of a software-based car. In the previous two years, Tesla has added Apple Music and Podcasts, rearranged the blindspot view, upgraded the park assist and guidance, and made hundreds of minor improvements. I have never had a car that so demonstrably improves with age.