New user
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11 Messages
What’s it like driving EV for the first time?
After much expectation your new Model 3 finally arrives. I recall my first time driving experience was felt with much in-trepidation and excitement. I had not driven all electric vehicle, yet previously owned Toyota Prius Hybrid and watched YouTube videos to educate myself and read car reviews. Despite this, I was not quite prepared for the full experience!
First thing I noticed after starting the EV was the deafening silence of the EV operation as driver, passenger and viewer. Climbing into the vehicle is like moving into another dimension yet with the appearance of getting into a vehicle. Adjusting to the orientation, seating and controls are weirdly hidden yet simply complex. I thought this EV is a transporter computer on wheels!
The moment of true for first drive had arrived yet was delayed as had placed my new vehicle into workshop for coating. So I had to wait about a week before driving. The anticipation of driving for the first time was ‘frumazing’ frustrating because having to wait and amazing when it happened. I could not wait to get into EV to take it for its first real spin. Nor could the car detailer who gave a burnout wheelie send off in his vehicle as I left the workshop being his first M3 car to detail.
The drive started slowly and carefully as I navigated the controls on public roads, after getting familiar and felt the take off swish. Soon found an off road to test vehicle at speed. Foot to accelerator was an exhilarating and adrenaline pumping experience as your stomach moves from the front to rear seats. The swish of acceleration without any pull back is like “wow” and breath taking. The drive is quite liberating from ICE vehicle - no drive chain pull,silent, no smell of petrol, seamless smooth and powerful drive.
Now feeling more comfortable with driving, took my first trip away with family that involved going down the Clyde Mountain, NSW. We hoped in the EV and journeyed onwards. As we approached the mountain the mist rolled in and every sense was on overload as I explored the relationship between the car, my driving and environmental conditions. The drive experience was truly amazing -feeling the tyres grip the winding roads and gently shift the corners, the car felt like it was gliding down the mountain. This was like nothing else I had experienced before. Discovering the acceleration pedal could de-accelerate around corners and not needing to use break pedal often was like a revealation.
On the return trip, I again mapped my stops and recharge points, yet did not factor in the time of day, weather conditions and climb up a mountain. Return journey was at night, cold and raining and uphill. This required an extra pit stop for charging yet at the time no charger available in Braidwood. Thankfully local person who had access to three phase power allowed me to charge up whilst we watched Netflix movie with two teens in the back to enable safety arriving back at home with 1% of charge left. Nothing like cutting it fine for a first trip yet would not advise others try this approach. Just watch the YouTube videos about when you actually run out of charge for the hazards. A good learning experience that has prepared me to calculate factors and to better prepare for charging with unexpected conditions.
Thankfully EV chargers are becoming more plentiful and many more will roll out in 2023. I now carry every possible charger connectors adaptors with the vehicle and registered with the growing number of charge providers ie Chargefox, NRMA, Telsa, Evie, Ampol, AGL. The good old days of carrying and looking at road map to work out journey in ICE vehicle -ie route by distance in kms, pit stops for toilet breaks, location/hours petrol stations on a long trip are the very same skills I use when planning a EV journey with charging via Google maps, charge apps with chargers locations, availability and connectors. Just hoping the charger rollout matches the increasing EV demands/drivers as it could become quite savage out there at the charge points for longer distance travel! Home charging is a breeze and even better with roof top solar generation and solar battery.
NRMA_Paul
Bronze user
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246 Messages
2 years ago
@Fireflier welcome to the EV community. Great to read about your experience and challenge when you planned your first road trip. I think you raise a really good point around planning as it really draws the similarities to planning a road trip with rest stops and service stations too. As chargers continue to rollout, we expect the challenge of locating charge points will be reduced - but there's still a ways to go.
Has the 'new car' feeling worn off at all or are you still enjoying the drives in your EV?
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Tesla_Mif
New user
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3 Messages
2 years ago
An excellent written account which mirrors my own research experience.
I agree that Braidwood and Bungendore are prime candidates in great need of public charging stations. Batemans Bay could also do with a few more than the one at Dan Murphy’s and the one near McDonalds.
Would be good to put a public charger at Mollymook, Mogo and Broulee and Moruya as well I reckon.
I love my Model 3 and wouldn’t have dared try go to Batemans Bay if they didn’t have public charging.
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gordonr
New user
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40 Messages
2 years ago
The "deafening silence" and instant acceleration mean you need to watch your speed. It is really easy to hit 50km/h. And that's not performance models - that's almost any EV.
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Adrienne
New user
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23 Messages
2 years ago
Lovely description Fireflyer! My very first drive in an EV was a few years ago when the launch model of the Hyundai Kona Electric came to my rural town. I totally embarrassed myself by managing a squealing left turn out of the dealership driveway, having not realised that there would be instant acceleration. The effect is a little bit like the difference between driving a car without power steering and one with - it takes all the effort out of accelerating. Couple that with regenerative braking, and a lot of the effort of moderating your speed is also removed - you quickly get used to just lifting your foot at the right time. I did not get a chance to test drive the car I actually bought early this year (just ordered it and waited), but I knew instantly that an EV would be my next car, just from that 15 minute test drive. I've done about 7,000k in it (more than half of that highway driving) but still get a thrill every time I get in the car, even if it is only to go to the local shops.
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Phoenix
New user
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1 Message
2 years ago
What a wonderful description @Fireflier !
we have been 100% electric for almost 9 years now - first with a Nissan Leaf and then a Model S. I still have that acceleration thrill every time I drive. And what’s even better is that the car we have now is more advanced than when we bought it. They just get better and better. We absolutely LOVE it!
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