Sales of electric vehicles continue to climb, with 12% of new sales between January and June this year being battery electric or plug-in hybrid – up from 9.6% in the same period last year – data from the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) shows.
As drivers across the country adapt to the new technology, Guardian readers share their tips and biggest surprises since switching from an internal combustion engine [ICE] car to an EV.
Readers said they preferred the simplicity of “one-pedal driving”, a feature of some EVs that lets the driver control acceleration and braking using only one pedal.
Many also mentioned regenerative braking, found in electric and hybrid vehicles, which recovers energy from braking to recharge the battery. Here’s what they said on these and other issues:
One-pedal driving
I love the one-pedal driving with the regenerative braking. For the first time in my life (I’m 53, have had a number of cars in my life, all manual) I feel calmed by driving.
Jen, Brisbane, Queensland
One-pedal driving is the best thing since sliced bread, though I could do with even more aggressive dynamic braking. I find that the high level of braking you get without using friction brakes changes the way you drive.
Brett, Gladstone, Queensland
Big difference is regenerative braking, and even bigger [is] one-pedal driving. In China, they’ve found if learners only use [one-pedal driving] they have no familiarity with the brake pedal, there have been instances of them hitting the accelerator pedal instead of the brake in an emergency.
I think learners should experience driving a non-regenerative braking vehicle as well as an electric one.
Mike, Falcon, Western Australia
Love it, but one thing to learn. There is one-pedal mode and the normal two-pedal mode. One-pedal mode is great – foot off the pedal and the car will brake and stop. [Two-] pedal mode and the car will brake but continue at approximately 5km/h. Be aware of it.
Steve, Traralgon, Victoria
Clear air
I have long been something of a petrolhead but the one thing people never mention is that combustion engines, and particularly petrol ones, stink.
Every time I go to a capital city I am struck by the noise and stink of cars in the built-up areas. Some years ago when electric cars started to look like a reality, it dawned on me that this was completely unnecessary. I started to wonder if once sufficient people were driving electric, the public’s intolerance for breathing the pollution of other people’s exhaust would drive combustion engines out of cities.
Brett, Gladstone, Queensland
Smoother, easier, cheaper to operate, cleaner, quieter, better performance. All together nicer.
Peter, Canberra, ACT
Solar savings
It’s fast, quiet, low-cost to run and every morning I start with a ‘full tank’ from home charging. With off-street parking and a proper wall charger, especially paired with solar, running costs plunge. Public charging is only for road trips, and the car tells you exactly where and how long to charge.
David, Port Melbourne, Victoria
When we have to drive to Brisbane for medical appointments (almost 500km round trip) – the EV means our trip costs as little as $5 in fast charger fees. We could make it without charging but like to keep a buffer for the Cunninghams Gap road works. We use our solar to charge at home which is good because the solar credits are so low as to be negligible.
When we did a holiday trip to Melbourne earlier this year it cost us $400 for the round trip – inland [on the way] and coast on return. We only stopped in towns with chargers to reward them for putting in the infrastructure – I know that several towns such as Goulburn have installed them since our trip.
Maree, Stanthorpe, Queensland
I like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, regenerative braking, quick off the mark, quiet, very cheap to run – we have solar and battery. The only potential disadvantage is that I don’t have these things in my diesel 4WD so have to be mindful of the different cruise control and no auto stop.
Matt, Junortoun, Victoria
Smoother, quieter, better tech. We charge it from solar, so it’s only cost us $15 so far this year. We’d never go back to an ICE vehicle.
Geoff, Ashbury, New South Wales
Joy of driving
I rate the Kona EV as the best car I have ever driven after 59 years of driving experience. I was not expecting the move to an EV to provide such joy of driving.
John, Sarsfield, Victoria
Fast. Fun. Furious. Scorching hot hatch. Manoeuvrable. Fabulous brakes. Super clever safety features, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, traffic jam assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection and 360-degree camera. Great app. Like switching from a rotary dial phone to an iPhone.
Tim, Canberra, ACT