Like many I’m sure, the concept of owning a totally electric car sounded like doing the right thing, yet I had concerns.
Range and performance anxiety predominated – could I go far enough (or fast enough as my previous vehicles included Toyota Supras and a Mustang GT 5.0)? How hard would it be to find charging locations and what would it cost? What about when I needed to accelerate to enter the motorway or the traction to climb a hill?
Mustering my courage, I dove right into the deep end on a recent trip to California and rented a Polestar 2 EV from the Turo car sharing service for a month. Talk about making a commitment…
Happy to report that at least in Southern California there are literally no worries. Charging options and locations abound. Cost was far less than filling a tank with petrol (around $US25 using the more expensive fast chargers) and with a bit of planning was easily combined with business meetings, shopping, dining etc. Typically, the car would reach 80-90 per cent capacity in about an hour using the commercial charging stations.
I was able to charge overnight when staying at my father’s house as well which was even more convenient, though using just regular house current was a very slow option so I’d recommend installing a rapid charger at home if you need to drive longer distances (like Brisbane) on a regular basis without charging from a public charging point.
My Polestar 2 tracked not only my battery level in real time but also helpfully calculated what my battery level would be when I reached a destination entered into the onboard sat nav (and even what it would be if I returned to the same starting point). Performance was not an issue – acceleration was abundant and immediate and there was plenty of power for climbing hills – even from a dead stop. The overall experience was smooth, with a sense of ease without strain. In fact, I’d venture to say that overall the Polestar performed at a level competitive with high performance cars I’ve driven in the past.
My conclusion is that with a rapid charger at home, and the knowledge that over the next few years, forward thinkers will embrace installing charging points for their employees (I saw an office with over a dozen charging bays in Sydney last year) and customers (Subway has just announced establishing charging hubs around their restaurants here) owning an EV is going to be easier than you thought – and more pleasurable!
Rex Halvorson
For further inspiration to support Noosa’s zero emissions goals, head to ZEN’s website www.zeroemissionsnoosa.com.au. Join ZEN to support its work or help out with projects.
