Readers will recall our June Blog where we announced the arrival of our new car – a Nissan Leaf, and how pleased we were with it. We thought that I should write an update on owning such an entirely different sort of car.
10 years ago, with the help of other members of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association I converted our old Lancer to full electric Jason’s 1999 MItsubishi Lancer Coupe But what is owning a brand new battery EV (BEV) like?
Firstly we were both amazed at the sophisticated luxury and safety features. “It’s like driving a computer” says Sue. And being told that I ‘might need a coffee break’ (I was being a bit inattentive) was quite a salutary experience! You can disable many of these features, but we chose to keep most on, such as Lane Keeping, finding it very useful for us older drivers!
Knowing that it’s CO2 abating, because we charge the battery from our PV system, was a great feeling too. But the best is driving – it’s fantastic! With their massive low-rev torque EVs have instantaneous and seamless acceleration. Handling is good too. It corners ‘on rails’ as they say – due to the low centre of gravity (battery under the floor). Hence this blog’s title, a well-known phrase in the EV community!
Fears: The high initial price – but we’ll get most of it back over time due to zero fuel and lower maintenance costs. Range anxiety – none! We can drive up to town and back 2 times before needing a recharge. A trip to Melbourne or Sydney? No problem with the new fast charge stations.
The future: we have enrolled in a trial to use the car’s battery for grid stabilising (V2G) and to power our home at night (V2H). The SA Gov proposed road-user tax without EV incentives? Entirely illogical in the face of Australia’s massive transport sector emissions. Don’t get me started! However if you agree http://chng.it/zZ8n2QZ8RV is the petition.
