Are cars like underwear? After experimentation in teenage years (once your mum has stopped buying your pants) you settle into a style and fit that suits you, and stick with those.
That’s why people who have settled into brands like Range Rover or Porsche make repeat purchases.
Metaphorically these buyers can’t go past the high brief or “Boxster” short shelf in the lingerie aisle, as they believe big pants, or Y fronts, are not for them.
What I am suggesting here is that car buyers wedded to internal combustion engines for a lifetime don’t think electric vehicles (EVs) are for them. And if this theory holds water (and I’m not talking Kanga pants here) then it’s a shame.
For me, and most of you, the market leader in the EV charge is Tesla, and I’ve been interested in the profile of these early adopters.
For two years people who had heavy wallets, people thought to be VIPS, and me, got chauffeured around the Silverstone Circuit site at The Classic (rebranded The Festival this year) in Teslas.
My first EV experience was with a Tesla Model 3, which I found amazing. That said, I made a right mess of driving it
Now hear this – this wasn’t cars and drivers provided by Tesla. No, these chauffeurs were using their own cars to showcase the brand to passengers. These owners came from culturally diverse backgrounds, were young and old, and seemed both male and female in equal numbers.
So, I’d guess a range of undergarments, but one shared passion: their Teslas. During each ride the driver enthused about the technology and dynamic ability of their pride and joy.
My first EV experience was with a Tesla Model 3, which I found amazing. That said, I made a right mess of driving it. In fact, I was out of my depth. I couldn’t even open the door, didn’t know how to start the engine and my driving was so jerky people though I was using an on-off switch rather than an accelerator.
Is an EV a realistic ‘sole car’ prospect?
I delivered a vomit-inducing ride by driving it … like a car, and braking, when all I needed to do to slow or stop the Tesla was lift my foot from the accelerator to invoke a process called regenerative braking.
As I’m a serious journalist – and some years after that first EV experience – I wanted to find out, for you, if an EV is a realistic sole car proposition. In the past I’ve been so anxious about range and charging that I’ve not strayed far from home. With some travelling coming up, and a holiday planned, I asked the nice people at Tesla Aberdeen for a Model Y on an extended test.
Let’s save you skipping to the end of this piece – it was a resounding success. A Model Y can be your sole car, and I coped with the range of 327 miles.
For me, the Tesla network of superchargers really gives the company competitive advantage. By letting the batteries know you are heading for a charge, the car prepares itself to reduce the time on charge.
Won over by the wonders of electric: Andrew Martin embraces the Tesla 3
In Inverness I left the car in the Rose Street car park, charging at a bank of superchargers for 55 minutes to get fully charged while I enjoyed a light lunch. Then I unplugged the charger and left the car park after free Tesla parking!
On another day, Dundee provided a quick tea stop at the hotel just off the Kingsway at Invergowrie while the supercharger refuelled the car.
An enjoyable ‘real-world’ test
I enjoyed the brief stops during the real-world test and looked forward to the re-charge. It gave me time to read and make calls from my favourite mobile office space this year.
I think I appreciate the British Airways First Class lounge interior more now than I did before, and I’m not sure I should admit to this, but driving the Tesla made me feel both more chilled and superior to other road users.
I was able to make the machine move smoothly in speeding up and slowing down, cornering and stopping on my marks at junctions
In the main I drove it slowly and smoothly with the seats and armrests producing such a relaxing space there was little desire to hit the warp factor.
I was very at much at one with it from the first swipe of the card. The speedo in the large screen now seems somehow right, and all the controls were intuitive to use. This time I adjusted the regenerative braking setting, and never took my foot off the accelerator.
In fact, I adopted a Yoda-style approach of lifting of the right-hand pedal rather than moving my leg.
As a result, I was able to make the machine move smoothly in speeding up and slowing down, cornering and stopping on my marks at junctions.
Some complain about the ride and handling. I don’t. It’s planted (with all the weight low down), sporty and a delight to pilot.
The drive over the Lecht was as an enjoyable a drive as I’ve done on that road. I wonder how effective the four-wheel drive is in deep snow and winter conditions? I’ll get back to you on that as, again, there’s an argument that this machine can make a winter car redundant, too.
Tesla test drive offer
The Model Y was used to carry garden waste, took me to work, then on holiday we whispered through cities and countryside, and on each journey I didn’t want to drive anything else. Others were impressed, too, by the vast interior, the moon-roof and the premier car paint finish.
For those of you who’ve been in the same pants for years, Tesla Altens Aberdeen is offering test drives, not just to see if a Tesla is for you, but so you can check out the EV experience. That’s an offer you don’t get at Marks and Spencer.
P.S. The teaser question on the new car from last month’s answer: Alpine A 110 GT in Historic Blue. In words of B*Witched “C’est la vie!”
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