Sometimes the mainstream media’s representation of Tesla makes you cringe a bit — though I suppose that something similar could be said about Tesla fanboy behavior from some of the blogosphere as well. On that topic, the Washington Post recently did a review of the Tesla P90D that, while not terrible, did make me cringe a bit a couple of times.
I really have to wonder why the coverage of electric vehicles (EVs) so often includes so many comments about “range anxiety”. Do that many people really get “anxious” about somehow just magically running out of battery out of nowhere? It’s not a difficult thing at all to keep an eye on your battery level and plan accordingly — no different than driving in a gas-powered car and keeping an eye on your gas tank really.
There’s no reason to think that you’re somehow going to get stranded without realizing before hand that you should find somewhere to charge. Which can, it should always be remembered, be done practically anywhere in an urban environment. While it’s certainly most convenient to do so at a charging station, there are often other options that can be used as well.
On that count anyways, I really have to wonder why it’s often not mentioned how much more convenient it is to simply charge your car at home overnight than it is to have to search out gas stations every day (or two). Granted not everyone has their own house, but I would presume that most EV owners do. Anyways…
As far as the recent Washington Post review — the review was somewhat positive, so I’m not going to go on and on about it… But does anyone actually think the way that this guy is claiming that he does:
You forget all of that when your battery gets low. The problem of “range anxiety” in electric cars remains very real. When you’re near E and there are no open stations around, you realize how much you take for granted the simple pleasure of having a gas station on every corner. You become obsessed with your battery percentage, like how I imagine teenagers feel about their iPhones. You imagine waiting for a tow truck in your fancy corpse car, like a $140,000 sucker.
The driver who dutifully charges every night may have no problems on a daily commute. But forgetting to charge or pushing for a longer trip can bring a level of anxiety the traditional driver may not be used to. A nationwide road trip is theoretically possible, but the driving public will want convenience, too.
I missed the car when I gave it away — the quiet of the drive, the smoothness of the suspension, the power and speed — but it also felt a bit refreshing to not have multiple screens in my line of sight. Electric cars are coming rapidly, perhaps for the good of the planet. But for now, I appreciate not having to worry about a progress bar.
I’m skeptical.
(Tip of the hat to “Lanny” on the Tesla Motors Club forum.)
