Driving.
The BEV is different from an ICE in several ways:
Power delivery. Whilst some EVs are stupidly quick most are still rather quick from the start. That’s because an electric motor doesn’t have that power curve a petrol engine does, nor that of a diesel engine, it’s a straight line, full torque from the second you press the accelerator. The only factor is the amount of power you choose to apply, so the end result is you can pull away with a lot less pressure on the accelerator.
Silence, well, technically near silence. The electric vehicle is very quiet. There’s this artificial noise that’s generated below a set speed, all up to 15 mph, some above. That’s supposed to warn blind people that you’re there, if you trust that all people will hear you coming, you’ll be hitting the brakes in an emergency stop far too often. This requires a change of mindset (yes I know some view this term somewhat negatively but read on, you’ll get it). People will not look, they don’t regardless of what you’re driving, they’ll listen badly and will step out. You need to recognise when this is likely to happen and be ready to stop. The result? I tend to drive much slower around pedestrians and have to concentrate much more. You will find people walking in the road with no regard for you being behind them. Some cars have a ‘soft horn’ the Ampera I had used a triple ‘beep’ as a gentle awareness of your presence, which is much better than just leaning on the full horn.
Ideally, this slower driving is nothing new and we all drive at a pace suitable for the surroundings, realistically (and judging by the idiots I see charging through pedestrian heavy town centres at 30+), more care could be taken and, if your car isn’t making much noise, needs to be taken to avoid you being responsible for some idiot stepping off the pavement infront of you.
To drive an EV is a smooth experience. Because the power is instant, you tend to use less to pull away, then there’s no gear changes as the motor will run at tens of thousands of cycles per minute. So, you’ll pull away and, like the best automatic you can imagine, you just keep going up to your desired speed. Most modern cars will be fitted with a bunch of driver aides, including cruise control and lane assists. These on a long distance really will take all the tension of driving away in an EV and with the reduced noise (unless you’ve a car susceptible to wind noise) it’ll be a more relaxing place.
I’ve found the stereo needs to be less loud. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when I’m listening to music at a higher volume but I can have it at a volume where I can have a conversation over it and still hear the music, something I’ve never been able to do in an ICE.
Because so much of the driving is done through electronics, you don’t get the feeling of driving that you would from the likes of a BMW, just look at the reviews and they’re all saying that the steering feels disconnected slightly, the braking feels weird, etc. It’s unfortunate but, unless you choose a particularly bad one or are a racer at heart you’ll get used to it, as you do any new car.
You’re now driving a heavy car. Unless you’ve been used to 2 tonne SUVs or luxury cars, you’re now driving something with more weight than ever before. The result of lugging around the batteries is added weight. Most designs now have batteries in the floor, so that weight is pretty low and helps the balance. The suspension, however, needs to be a little stiffer to prevent the car wollowing around the corners, that usually means that slight bumps feel like speed bumps, slight damage to the road surface feels like a pot hole and, some cars may be quite a jolting ride. Do test drive several cars before deciding what you want to take on for 3+ years, they’re not all bone shakingly stiff. If the reviews say the car is quite sporty, it holds well in corners, it probably also doesn’t like poor roads. Likewise those with smooth rides may need you to slow down more to go around corners.
Personally, I’ve found the combination of one pedal driving, gear free acceleration and a relatively smooth ride makes up for the suspension and cornering and results in a very relaxing drive. There aren’t many cars I can drive for hours and feel as relaxed when I get out, the more EVs I own, the more I find that the technology really helps.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.
Mark