16 Things I Learned in 30 Days of Having an Electric Car

 1. It is 100% possible to forget how to pump gas. Although the Volt has a gas “generator” (not really an engine, but it’s a back up) I have yet to need to put any gas in it.

2. They’re stealthy. I had two ladies carry on a conversation behind my car while I got in, buckled up, put it in reverse and then had to stick my head out of the car and ask them to move because they couldn’t hear the car running!

3. Eavesdropping is so easy. Electric cars are silent, other drivers at intersections are not.. so you get to hear conversations people think are private.

4. There are no vibrations! You get used to it, but regular cars vibrate so much! It can’t be good for you?

5. PlugShare is awesome! As are the people on it. I used it to find a public charger when I was out at University Circle… unfortunately the chargers weren’t signed as being for EV only and a bunch of regular cars parked in the spots preventing me from charging.

6. People will stare. I had my car plugged in at my Aunt P’s house during a jewelry party and one of the other guests stopped and stared at it for awhile before leaving.

7. People will roll down their windows at stop lights and ask you questions about the car.

8. Outlet spotting is a sport, your skills will improve as time goes on.

9. Maintenance is a breeze. For the next three years, I will most likely only have to rotate my tires!

10. EV drivers are a friendly bunch and are fun to talk to. We went to a car show and spent 20 minutes chatting with a Tesla owner about the future of electric cars, ranges, etc.

12. Range anxiety is a real psychological condition. Even with the back up of gas, I get EV-range anxiety.

13. Efficient driving is safer driving. No sudden stopping (maxing out regeneration) and easy acceleration are better.

14. Hybrid owners are either jealous of you or judging you, I’m not sure which… unless they have a plug-in hybrid then they are as friendly as EV drivers.

15. Mileage.

16. EV cars can make drivers of large pickup trucks uncomfortable and slightly aggressive.

Curious about the electric vehicles on the road? Plugincars.com has a list of electric cars out there and a bunch of helpful information.