Here are some of the driving nuances (good or bad, you decide) of an EV that you don't really fully realize until you own one for a while.
-Idling (so to speak) consumes very little energy (you don't feel like you are wasting money to keep the AC on), no extra heat from the engine or exhaust or fear of overheating if sitting in 110 degree heat. Nice for when you have to wait for someone in a parking lot, etc. This is just one of those things you appreciate and immediately sense an EV is much more efficient at.
- Braking regen from the electric motor not only transfers some energy back into the main battery but it reduces the use of the friction brakes. Less fatigue in stop and go traffic with one pedal driving, less wear and extremely low brake dust on the wheels. I can go a couple months and without seeing any brake dust on the wheels.
- Stop and go traffic - when the EV has no transmission and you are basically using one pedal to stop and go, it is just easier to drive and less annoying. The car will come to a complete stop and apply brake hold if you want.
- Low noise and vibration - engine and exhaust noise is replaced with wind and tire noise. It is overall more peaceful if you like that. The big benefit is when listening to music. The audio sounds so much better in a quiet EV. On the flip side it is very quiet, some folks like that you can hear what the tires are doing in a turn but I would argue the drama you get from a muscle car is more exciting. Now if we are comparing the vibration and exhaust note of a Toyota Camry then I would rather drive the EV.
- No transmission - this one has its pros and cons imo. The instant torque/throttle response and not having to wait for a downshift or upshift in many ways feels like a quantum leap over ICE. In normal street driving the car always feels like it is in the power band. Passing performance in the 0-70mph is absolutely ridiculous. So smooth and effortless. The downside is at higher speeds the EV will not have the same pull as it does at lower speeds. It still pulls plenty hard but you can tell the lack of gearing is limiting performance. I would expect to see 2-speed transmissions eventually show up in performance EVs. I think the Taycan is using a ZF 2-speed.
- Charging at home is nice - it feels like you own the pump so to speak. Never having to stop at a gas station feels weird for the first few months and you always leave the house with a full charge if you top off each night. After a couple months the cost savings become very apparent if you drive the typical miles most folks do. I estimate about $200-300 savings per month for my wife and I.
- Highway driving - this is where you see EVs are at a disadvantage. Some new EV owners do not like the pronounced wind and tire noise at highway speeds. They are not any louder but than ICE it is just without engine and exhaust noise you hear them both more. Also, you can immediately see the difference in efficiency on the highway. Without the regen in stop and go city driving you use up a lot more electrons keep the car moving at a steady 70mph+. On the positive side Autopilot in Tesla and SuperCruise in GM, adaptive cruise control and auto steering, reducing fatigue in longer trips.
Spirited Driving - it is hard to explain and it may just be my OCD hangup but when I was in the mood to drive my Camaro or Corvette in a spirited manner I always felt like I was beating on it as if I was about to damage something. However, in the Tesla Performance EV I feel like you can mash the pedal at every opportunity and it doesn't feel like you are beating on it in the same way. I don't know if it is because of the simplicity of the EV powertrain, smoother power delivery or because you go 0-60mph in 3 flat with no noise or just the lack of overall drama but other owners have expressed this as well. It just seems to perform with less effort than ICE, I guess that is just the perk of a torque curve shaped like a square wave.
Model 3 Performance in Blue and Model 3 Dual Motor in Red
