Before subscribing to Motor, a special program to drive an electric vehicle (EV) for an extended period of time through a new subscription service, Erika G. had very little experience with EVs. Erika and her husband had looked into an EV, but didn’t want to spend the money if the car didn’t work for their family. She also had concerns about how to charge the vehicle, how many miles it could go, whether to go full electric or with a hybrid, and what the public charging infrastructure experience would be like. She was attracted to Motor, because it allows people to test drive an EV over an extended period of time without any long-term commitment and to try out different vehicle models. To date, Erika has tried the Tesla X and the Mustang Mach-E.
She liked the Tesla X and all of its “bells and whistles”, the volume of charging ports available, and how long the range is (over 300 miles). One feature about the Tesla she enjoyed, was the option to quickly and easily switch the child lock feature in the back doors, which worked well for both her younger child and her teenagers. She preferred the seven-seat option, so she could fit more kids and stuff on trips. She became more comfortable with longer trips and recently drove the Tesla to St. Louis from Indiana. Though she was “holding her breath” as they approached the hotel with only 20 miles of range left, she was happy to utilize the free charging at the hotel.
She also liked the Ford Mustang Mach-E, but it didn’t have some of the same perks as the Tesla. For example the passenger seats can’t be heated remotely, it didn’t have the same child lock feature and she had difficulties opening the hood to access the “frunk” (front-end trunk). However, she did like the self-driving features and the fact that the range estimate is more accurate.
When she was considering which charger to install at home, she wasn’t sure if she needed to install the charger port for the Tesla or for the Mustang, but fortunately the Motor concierge service helped her understand that the Tesla comes with an adapter, so it was better to use a charger that worked for non-Tesla’s (i.e., a J-1772 plug). As an added perk, Motor installed the charger for a fixed price so she didn’t have to go through the hassle of finding an electrician.
When asked what she liked most about the EV technology, she enjoyed not going to the gas station – especially during the pandemic – and the convenience of charging at home. She is considering buying the Tesla as her next car, but wants to try out other EV options, and may continue to use the Motor service because of the convenience.
One downside of the EV as a mom of teens is that the car doesn’t generate any noise, making it easier for her kids to potentially sneak out of the house with her car. But to her, the overall pros of the quiet ride outweigh the cons, and she would recommend an EV to anyone.
