In my post of December 2019, 25 Years Later, I spoke of finally realizing my long-held desire to own a Jeep Wrangler. When I purchased that little gem, I truly thought it would be the last car I would own – the one in which I’d drive off into the sunset. Funny how the best laid plans…
A Short History of the Evolution of the Electric Vehicle
The electric vehicle (EV) evolution has a relatively short timespan. It started with the hybrid vehicle which contained a standard internal combustion gas engine and a small electric motor that could work with the gas engine to power the car by itself for short distances. The battery was recharged by the gas engine, as well as friction energy converted while braking – called “regenerative braking.” The Prius, developed by Toyota, was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. It went on sale in Japan in 1997, and subsequently introduced worldwide.
In 2005, the Ford Escape was the first hybrid from an American manufacturer and the first hybrid SUV produced for sale. That’s when I purchased my first hybrid. In 2008 I traded the Escape for a hybrid Lexus, which I kept until 2012. For the next twelve years I returned to “conventional-powered” automobiles.
Meanwhile, in 2010, Plug-in Hybrids, appeared on the market. They differ from the hybrid described above in that their battery can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power source. Plug-in hybrids offer an extended electric-only driving range, whereas pure hybrids rely more on the gasoline engine.
Nissan was one of the first major automakers to build its battery-powered EV on a dedicated platform – no gas combustion engine. The Leaf arrived as a 2011 model built in Japan, the U.S., and Great Britain. The first-generation Leaf was sold worldwide and was fully capable of highway speeds. Introduced in 2012, the Tesla made electric cars more desirable. It was both a large luxury car and a performance car – and recently, (in my opinion) an extremely ugly truck!
My EV Story
As I mentioned above, I was an early adopter of the hybrid technology in 2005 with the Ford followed by the Lexus in 2008. By the time 2012 rolled around, I had lost Joanna, sold our house and moved into a high-rise apartment in downtown Tampa. I was also ready to replace the Lexus.
At that time EVs were in their infancy. I didn’t want another pure hybrid and most apartment complexes (including mine) had no chargers installed. If I were still living in a house, I might have considered the plug-in route. So, for the next twelve years I drove three different gasoline models.
Earlier this year my daughter Kristin and I visited my granddaughter Megan and her family in Colorado. It was our first time to lay eyes on Megan’s son, Maddox – our great grandson/greatnephew! See the post Good News about his arrival. Megan and her husband had recently purchased a Tesla. I thought, “Smart move and they’re living in a house where they can easily charge it.” The seed had been planted in my head!
In the late spring of this year, I was visiting friends in California. The Uber that brought me to the airport on the return trip was a Tesla. As we zipped along the freeway that seed began to germinate!
One thing holding me back from going totally electric was not having access to home charging. Also, what happens if I run out of juice when I’m on the road? That’s a common feeling for the novice. There’s even a term for it. Range Anxiety. ChargeLab describes this as “the idea that electric vehicles lack the power to get you where you need to go. This anxiety is compounded by worry over charger availability and reliability.“
According to evadoption, “as of July 2024, Tesla operates a network of 6,500 Supercharger stations with nearly 60,000 connectors.” Today there are thousands more of third party providers.
Those developments over the last few years put to rest those concerns for me. Kinda.
After taking a demo drive in June, I was ready to order my EV.
I was impressed with Tesla’s mode of transacting business. There are no large dealerships with high pressure sales persons; no haggling on the price; no extensive menu of options to wade through; no dealer added fees and no waiting for a manager’s approval of the deal. I was able to complete the purchase in just a few minutes. I decided on the model, then which colors for the exterior/interior and finally the type of wheels. After a credit check, my order was confirmed. That’s it!
What Now?
My Model 3 is a technological marvel. Most everything is controlled from the large screen. Being a lefty, it’s a bit awkward sometimes to shift gears. There’s no stalks on the steering column for the common things you find on a traditional car – directionals, cruise control, windshield wipers, etc. Buttons on the steering wheel provide those things. That was probably the biggest adjustment for me – I kept reaching for the directional. Muscle memory is a hard thing to un-learn!
Before I’d even decided to change cars, I had booked a five day stay on Captiva Island, a place that holds a special significance for our family. In early 2010, Joanna and I came to Captiva to find a house suitable for a family gathering during the Christmas holidays that year. We found the perfect place and booked it. She passed away two months before the holidays. In her honor, we decided to make the trip and had a very special celebration of her life on the beach.
Over the years, I’ve returned to Captiva three times. Most recently, this week. I’ve spent a few hours here finishing up this post. Lots of time to relax, reflect and refresh.
As an added benefit, I was able to check the level of my range anxiety. There’s approximately 175 miles between Tampa and Captiva Island. It’s well below the range expectation of the Model 3. But, given the relative remoteness of Captiva, I decided to charge along the route. The navigation system aboard the vehicle does an excellent job of calculating when you need to recharge and directing you to the nearest charge station. A flawless trip to Captiva. I leave tomorrow to return to Tampa – I’m very confident it will be as flawless! Range anxiety almost gone!
The picture above is me leaving my daughter’s house after she and her husband had a test drive. A few weeks later, they also placed an order!