Will I enjoy driving an EV?

Those who own one of the rare Tesla Roadsters imported to Australia will disagree, but the local introduction of the Tesla Model S in 2013 was the tipping point for electric vehicle acceptance in Australia.

Before then, the only high-profile electric vehicles marketed in Australia were the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Nissan LEAF. Each was a worthy vehicle, but hardly designed to raise the pulse rate.

There’s little doubt that Tesla’s large sedan was a game changer in one very important respect: It was fast. Very, very fast.

Tesla owners are in fact particularly vocal; they argue the case that the Model S in its highest specification provides more performance, relative to its purchase price, than a conventional vehicle costing double the money.

And here are some numbers that are hard to argue against. The new flagship 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid – with three electric motors and a 100kWh battery – costs from $174,990 (plus on-road costs), produces 760kW and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.1 seconds. That makes it quicker than any Ferrari or Lamborghini for a fraction of the price.

You only have to look at what some of the most iconic sports car brands on the planet are doing to understand the performance potential of electric cars.

Porsche, for example, has just released the ground-breaking 2021 Porsche Taycan sports sedan in Australia and acquired a huge stake in Croatian company Rimac to further advance its EV credentials.

It has also been given control of the Bugatti brand by parent company Volkswagen to fast forward the iconic French hypercar-maker into the new century of EVs.

Similarly, Ferrari and Lamborghini are developing plug-in hybrid powertrains that will push the boundaries of performance beyond what is possible purely with combustion engines as emissions regulations become tighter.

McLaren has also claimed that its entire next generation of supercars will be electrified, starting with the new 2021 McLaren Artura due in Australia later this year with a smaller turbocharged V6 engine with a plug-in electric motor.

Setting aside performance, cost and the environment for a moment, the advantage of an EV is it’s so easy to drive, and relatively comfortable. There are no gear changes, no noise from combusting fuel pushing against pistons, no drivetrain whine.

For drivers who enjoy driving made easy and serene, it doesn’t get much easier than a Tesla Model S.

Paraphrasing the late Julius Sumner-Miller, why is it so?

It’s all about packaging. Reviewers were quick to praise all-new models such as the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE and, more recently, the ground-breaking Porsche Taycan for the driving enjoyment and satisfaction they deliver.

Whereas the traditional internal combustion vehicle will always be compromised by packaging and weight distribution because of having a heavy engine mounted in its nose (or behind the passengers in the case of a traditional sports car), electric motors are smaller, require fewer auxiliary systems and can be mounted on each of the axles, spreading the weight across the whole wheelbase.

The biggest penalty is, however, overall weight as large battery packs come with considerable mass. But they can be easily configured to optimise packaging and weight distribution by being located in or under the floor.

However, as everyone knows, ideal weight distribution is a contributing factor in high-grade handling and roadholding.

So, with electric cars you get the best of both worlds: manageable handling, high-level roadholding, comfortable ride and consistently safe braking.

And if you are someone who cares more about straight-line performance than cornering or braking anyway, electric vehicles have that covered too.

As previously mentioned, the Tesla Model S Plaid is quicker than a Ferrari or Lamborghini to 100km/h, while the Porsche Taycan Turbo S is not far behind in that it can hit triple figures in just 2.8 seconds.

For many drivers, the emotional attraction in operating a motor vehicle comes from the stirring sound of a multi-cylinder engine, the tactility of changing gear by hand and even the whiff of hot ‘blow-by’.

Electric vehicles can’t provide any of that, although automotive manufacturers are working on noise generators for EVs – but mostly to warn pedestrians an EV is approaching.

But the counterpoint to the enthusiasts is the consumer’s prerogative. When the vast majority of vehicles sold today are automatics, when manufacturers are spending millions to sanitise the modern car of all noise, vibration and harshness, and when vehicle owners become anxious about any sort of smell from the car – burning or otherwise – the enthusiast is clearly in the minority.

Consumers mostly want their cars to be clean, quiet and safe. They would rather plug an electric power lead into a recharging port than grapple with a greasy diesel pump.

EVs are all that and more.

There are fewer fluids to replace, since the battery is the ‘fuel tank’, and the electric motor has none of the reciprocating parts that wear and need to be lubricated.

The modern EV makes up for its lack of raw driving enjoyment for the enthusiast by challenging conventional views of what a car should be.

Advanced infotainment systems in EVs are easily the match of counterparts in conventional cars. The motoring enthusiast of the future will perhaps have more in common with a consumer electronics buff than today’s keen driver.

Today’s electric vehicles usually display information to guide the driver for the most energy-efficient method of travel. Some drivers will rise to this challenge – enjoying the intellectual pursuit of driving the longest possible distance before the battery needs recharging.

This is not the same sort of fun as counter-steering a rear-wheel drive V8 coupe on a wet track, but that’s not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea anyway.

Electric vehicles are the ultimate expression of refinement. To drive an EV is to appreciate just how quiet it is on the move.

Inside the electric car there’s no exhaust note or induction roar. Any noise heard is mostly from tyres and wind.

One of the common complaints levelled at EVs is the cost of purchase. But a conventional car that is equally as quiet would cost a lot more than a mainstream passenger vehicle. What price do you put on comfort?

Therefore, it’s for hedonists, rather than enthusiasts, that the electric vehicle will strike a chord, as director of JET Charge Tim Washington observed.

“Here’s the thing: I don’t know of anybody who has sat in any modern EV, driven it, and got out saying, ‘That’s never going to work’,” Washington said.

“So yes, you will enjoy driving your EV.

“We won’t convert everybody. And that’s not the point. For those who truly enjoy the petrol engine symphony I say to you, ‘Help us get more EVs on the road so you can continue enjoying performance petrol cars.’

“For everybody else who buys a car to get from A to B, I can truly say that driving an EV will offer a level of comfort, quietness and pleasure that most people don’t currently experience on a day-to-day basis.”