I’m a car expert and this is why I won’t swap my petrol for an electric vehicle

The modern electric car has the power to reduce emissions, make the air cleaner, and reduce noise pollution

Although electric cars are seamlessly integrating with the rest of the automotive landscape, I’m not yet ready to swap my petrol car out for an electric one, here’s why.

There are several reasons for this, some economical and some psychological and it’s the latter that has a lot of influence.

Like many people, I live with anxiety and like the volume on a radio or exhaust note, it varies.

My experience so far with electric cars is that when the battery starts to drop below a certain level, I start to get quite anxious. This is no fault of the cars or the people who build them, just my reaction.

READ MORE One in three drivers nickname their car based on paint colour or make and model

When the same thing happens in my petrol Mini, I don’t feel any anxiety at all, and there are several reasons for this, including the fact that I know where all the local petrol stations are.

What’s more, I know that when I turn up there will likely be a pump and I won’t need to worry about how long it will take to fill the tank.

In contrast, when I drove a Porsche across Britain, these questions were on my mind when my battery began to dip.

Alongside the psychological aspect, there’s the economic one too. Quite simply, there are no electric cars that have the space or range of my current car and those that do are way above my budget.

However, for all my criticisms there are counterarguments for what I’ve just written, and it’s all to do with time.

As time goes by, I’ll get more used to electric cars and I know at one point I’ll be driving along, see I’ve got 15 or 20 percent range and not feel any anxiety at all.

But, there are some aspects where electric cars can’t be topped. Performance for one thing.

When I drove the Porsche Taycan I had an opportunity to drive it along some Cornish and Norfolk B-roads. Although it is a family estate car, it was mightily impressive on tricky roads.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

DON’T MISS
Inside a mobile speed camera van – truth about 10% rule[REPORT]
Classic car owners could damage vital parts if they use E10 fuel, warns expert[REPORT]
Electric car owners may face shocking 1000% rise in insurance premiums[REPORT]

The instant torque from electric motors means instant acceleration and modern suspension technology puts electric cars like the Taycan and MG4 XPower ahead of their petrol-powered rivals.

This is where things get tricky, because now electric cars can get to the horizon first, petrol cars have to offer something different, and they do.

Primarily, it’s noise and with that noise, they bring a different character. It’s something I’ve seen in another Porsche, a 911 Dakar I drove from Jyvaskyla to Helsinki.

As I drove through towns and on motorways people turned their heads to look as this bewinged beast purred by.

It was the same with the Ferrari Dino and a BMW M2 Coupe I drove recently, the latter a Bavarian muscle car whose charismatic six cylinders put a smile on my face even at pedestrian speeds.

It’s the noise which forms part of the thrill, that stands hairs on necks and sends hormones flying through the cerebrum.

I enjoy reviewing electric cars because they are new and exciting and have so much potential for good, but I also hold a soft spot for the sounds of the past too.

Source: Read Full Article