To EV or not to EV, that is the question

Reading through my post the other day, I came across a competition to win a Ford Explorer EV, which required me to sign up for a test drive. I don’t enter that many comps but I thought, why not, my wife and I can make it a day out in Bristol. So I duly entered, quickly followed by a phone call from the Bristol Ford dealership near Cribbs Causeway. We agreed a date and time and on the day we duly toddled over to experience what would be my first ever drive in an Electric Vehicle. I’m talking about a full blown EV, not a hybrid.

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On arrival we were met by Tom who of course was obliged to run through the pros and cons of owning an EV, compared to an ICE (internal combustion engine) powered vehicle. Based on the figures I gave him (10,000 miles per annum) he claimed I could make a saving of as much as up to just over £100 a month. In reality I would probably halve that figure. Why? Only because our ‘family’ car tends to do longer journeys away from home (often including a few thousand miles abroad) – Yes we are retired! However, if we opted for a small ‘Citycar’ EV, then I could see the figures working – maybe even more than Tom claimed. My reasoning? Currently, charging your vehicle at home on a dedicated charger – ideally overnight – can cost as little as 3p a mile, compared to around 20p per mile for an ICE. Obviously if you need to charge an EV en route then it’s going to cost considerably more, in the region of £50-£60 for a full charge. Based on a range of around 300 miles, that works out at around 20p per mile.

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So those are the stats. What about the driving experience? Tom took us out to the demonstrator and gave me (designated driver) a rundown on the essential controls, which were fairly intuitive. This included the start-up sequence (it’ll become apparent why I mention this, later in the article). The central display console was full of buttons and features, so I left my wife to enjoy pushing those, hoping there wasn’t an ejector seat option fitted!

 

Popping the vehicle into drive via a column mounted selector, we made our way slowly along the forecourt and out onto the main road. We had already got a route in mind, including a bit of motorway driving. The driving experience is alien to begin with, but you very quickly apply yourself to no engine sound – just the rumbling of the tyres on the road. As has been written on many occasions, the acceleration on EVs is generally outstanding and should provide enough oomph to get yourself up to speed and/or get the vehicle into a position for a lane change or similar. The other key feature is the dynamic braking. The ‘gear’ selector includes (D)rive as normal, but also (B)rake for additional assisted braking when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. Again this is a bit weird to begin with, but does come in handy when you’re manoeuvring in and out of traffic – and also makes the brake pedal less of a feature in day to day driving. Having said that, the first time I needed to brake for stationary traffic ahead, I nearly misjudged the stopping distance. I stopped OK, but of course EVs are generally much heavier than ICE vehicles, so will often require a greater stopping distance; a word to the wise for anyone driving an EV for the first time!

 

Anyway, we ran our route over a variety of major and minor roads and after about half an hour drove back to the dealership. This is when it became clear that whilst Tom had given me an excellent introduction into how to get the car going, he hadn’t told me how to turn it off! It was OK though and a logical look at what you normally do when securing / shutting down a vehicle before exiting it provided the answer: depress the brake pedal, put into (P)ark, then open the door – Simple!

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My impression of the Ford Explorer? Mmmm. Nice enough external design; easy to see around the vehicle when manoeuvring; good acceleration (though not as quick as some EVs in which I’ve been a passenger). There was, though, a feeling of understeer, especially around roundabouts, which felt uncomfortable. Interestingly this vehicle is rear-wheel drive. Inside the cabin there’s plenty of room for a family; the driving position is good with loads of adjustment. There is also an instrument binnacle straight in front of the driver as well which I was glad to see, rather than continually having to glance across to a central screen. Buttons, switches and features abound everywhere. Steering wheels are getting more like Sir Lewis Hamilton’s F1 car, to the point that during the drive I inadvertently managed to turn on the heated steering wheel feature and, possibly more worrying, the Cruise Control. Luckily the latter happened whilst I was on the motorway so wasn’t a huge issue, but I’m not sure I’d want that to happen in busy traffic? 

 

My impression of driving an EV? I was pleasantly surprised. It would be of little benefit as a replacement for our family car; the traits of EV ownership just don't add up for the way we use such a vehicle. However, my wife has a small ‘citycar’ which we both use for popping into town etc. and I could see how it would work in that light.

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I should say thanks to Ford for the driving opportunity. The staff at the dealership were very hospitable and made it a very enjoyable experience.