My first drive of an EV
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Last week I rented a Tesla at RDU. My impressions:
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It was a real pain in the ass having no physical controls. I didn't know how to do anything. When I got to my first destination I even had to google "how to turn off a Tesla model 3". On the way back to the airport the next day, it started raining. There is a little button on the end of the turn signal where if you push it the wipers go once. I couldn't find where to turn them on properly so I had to push that button repeatedly while driving. Granted, much of these issues were because I was a beginner and had no tutelage on how everything works, so many of these frustrations would go away if you owned it. Still, I don't like being so dependent on a screen and there's certain things you expect to operate similarly inane car, such as wipers.
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Tesla's don't coast. If you take your foot off the 'gas' of an electric motor, it slows you down quite quickly, as if you were breaking. After a very short while, I learned when to take my foot off the gas when approaching a light in such a way that I never needed the brake at all. The second day I had the car, I didn't use the brake once.
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Range anxiety is a thing. I found myself anxiously watching the battery meter, even though I wasn't at risk of running out and there was an EV charging station 300yds from my hotel.
I wouldn't rule out owning an EV some day, though probably one with less dependence on a touchscreen. But I would only do it if I could charge it at home and I'd probably never take it on a road trip more than a single charge away.
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Funny thing - I rented the car last minute - made the reservation from the plane while taxiing at RDU.
Two days later, after I had returned the car, I got an email from Hertz explaining the basics of a Tesla Model 3. I suppose if I had reserved in advance I would have received this email in time to avoid many of the frustrations described in #1.
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Very interesting. One gets used to awkward, different, locations of controls, of course. But being dependent on the screens is a non-starter for
meMrs. George.The lack of coasting is for regenerative braking, and I've read that it's disconcerting after a while, but, like for you, becomes second nature eventually.
Did you end up needing to charge it? If so, where and how long did it take? Was the range estimate accurate?
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Interesting review. The combination of so many vital controls in the screen bothers me too. In an internal combustion car, most of the controls operate independent of one another - wipers, lights, gauges, etc. If it's all based on that processor your car is bricked in a failure.
"My pronouns are FA/FO." - Mik, 2024
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Jon, your #2 bothers me just a bit. I rely on the brake lights of the car in front of me for obvious reasons. If the brake lights don't come on, I may plow into you if I'm slightly distracted or something like dark rainy night driving. Personally, I always consider turning on my brake lights with a gentle push of the pedal just so the person behind me knows I'm slowing down. That's why I hate tailgaters, I always figure they're not that good in reacting to driving circumstances as they think they are.
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"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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@Jon said in My first drive of an EV:
Last week I rented a Tesla at RDU. My impressions:
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It was a real pain in the ass having no physical controls. I didn't know how to do anything. When I got to my first destination I even had to google "how to turn off a Tesla model 3". On the way back to the airport the next day, it started raining. There is a little button on the end of the turn signal where if you push it the wipers go once. I couldn't find where to turn them on properly so I had to push that button repeatedly while driving. Granted, much of these issues were because I was a beginner and had no tutelage on how everything works, so many of these frustrations would go away if you owned it. Still, I don't like being so dependent on a screen and there's certain things you expect to operate similarly inane car, such as wipers.
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Tesla's don't coast. If you take your foot off the 'gas' of an electric motor, it slows you down quite quickly, as if you were breaking. After a very short while, I learned when to take my foot off the gas when approaching a light in such a way that I never needed the brake at all. The second day I had the car, I didn't use the brake once.
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Range anxiety is a thing. I found myself anxiously watching the battery meter, even though I wasn't at risk of running out and there was an EV charging station 300yds from my hotel.
I wouldn't rule out owning an EV some day, though probably one with less dependence on a touchscreen. But I would only do it if I could charge it at home and I'd probably never take it on a road trip more than a single charge away.
Good review. I travel for work about 4 times a year and rent a car. Sometimes I get an EV option but always pass based on learning curve (and charging options).
The lack of physical buttons would be weird. I know in my Honda Accord for the volume it had a sliding touch control, my wife and I hated that. Whereas on the CRV (and now Odyssey) the circle volume knob is back. (Yes all 3 cars you can control volume on the steering wheel, though)
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@George-K said in My first drive of an EV:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/regenerative-braking-do-the-brake-lights-turn-on.112255/
I hadn’t even thought about the brake light issue. Thanks.
