(WatchDogReport.org) – Journalist Stella Morabito recently took a road trip with her husband. The couple had never rented an EV before, and since the price difference between an EV and a gas-powered vehicle was negligible, they opted for a Tesla. Morabito’s review of the Tesla during their journey to the Seattle area was not complimentary.
She began by addressing the vehicle’s range and concerns with charging stations. Realistically, the Tesla could only be driven around 150-200 miles instead of the advertised 300 miles before needing to find a charging station. Morabito stated that the concern of being stranded caused unnecessary stress. Charging the EV, even at supercharging stations, took much longer than simply filling up at the gas pump; it took at least a half hour to charge from 30% to 85%.
Morabito declared that some stations can take hours to charge the EV and may not be in convenient or safe locations. Hanging around for extended periods of time without public amenities such as restaurants, restrooms, or safely populated areas caused concern. Morabito expressed unease that some of these areas appeared to be potential “crime scenes.”
The Tesla’s operation is highly dependent on a touch screen at the center console. Without a passenger to navigate the screen, the driver would be distracted by trying to use the screen to find charging stations (since the vehicle needs to be in motion to do so) or access other features, such as the windshield wipers, which are automatic unless “turned off.”
Morabito is not the only journalist to write negatively about her experience driving an EV. In June of 2022, Rachel Wolfe wrote a similar article listing many of the same concerns as Morabito. Wolfe’s trip took place in a Kia EV6. Wolfe claims to have spent more time charging and attempting to charge the EV than she spent sleeping during her trip from New Orleans to Chicago.
Both Morabito and Wolfe seem to agree that EVs are not the first choice for practicality.
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