As mentioned, thanks to a Turo rental gone wrong, my Tesla Model Y is in the shop for a shockingly long time. Thankfully, I have a rental car at no cost to me. Although it’s not a Tesla loaner as I was led to believe, I am happy to have a ride. That said, I didn’t realize just how different it feels going back to driving a conventional vehicle. With that in mind, here are five things I already miss about driving an EV.
Power to Move
A huge difference I am feeling now that I am back driving an ICE vehicle is the lack of instant power. Granted I am driving a Volkswagen Tiguan with a 4-cylinder engine, there is no denying the instant power driving an EV provides. It didn’t take me long to get used to having this. Now I am having to think several exits ahead to make sure I can get over or check myself before moving lanes.
Engine Noise
Now even though I am driving a 4-cylinder car, the engine noise is noticeable…and I don’t like it. I got used to the quiet ride driving an EV gives you. Now it sounds like I am driving a lawnmower…to work.
Buttons on Buttons
Now, this point is very much Tesla related rather than EV, but interesting to share. When I moved to the Model Y and its very minimalist approach to controls, I was worried. With almost everything controlled by the touchscreen console, I thought it would take a while to get used to it. In reality, it took a day.
Now, sitting in this Volkswagen Tiguan, the first thing I thought was “what’s with all these buttons??” I feel like I am controlling a spaceship when really, that’s what should be said about driving a Tesla. Dedicated buttons for every little thing really is overkill.
Pumping Gas Sucks.
This is stating the obvious but much like how I quickly adapted to the lack of cabin controls, I also got used to plugging in my car at home. Little did I know that this really is a luxury. Standing in the cold and taking time out of my day to stop and fill up seems crazy now.
No HOV
Another perk with driving an EV is access to the High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. In British Columbia, EV’s get a decal allowing drivers to use the HOV lane regardless if you are car-pooling or not. Even though traffic isn’t what it use to be due to the pandemic, using the HOV lane makes my commute less stressful and faster. Now? Not so much. I even caught myself taking a HOV exit even though I was by myself. Whoops!
No Going Back
As previously mentioned, I was surprisingly sad when I said goodbye to my ICE vehicle. Despite the headaches dealing with Tesla and dealing with a Turo rental accident, I can say with confidence I am sad no more. After a few days behind the wheel of this powerless lawnmower, I am convinced I will never go back to driving an ICE vehicle again. The benefits, comfort, and power are there. On top of that, driving an EV means zero-emissions so really, everything else is just a perk, don’t you think?
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