Living in the suburbs, have an electric car and be happy life

Usually we associate the electric cars to drivers urbanizes who live and work in downtown areas of large cities, where distances are very short and autonomy is no concern for them because they make up more than half. It is true that this is the ideal user, but not the only one.

It is possible to have an electric car, live in the suburbs and be happy life. They are individual cases, it is not valid for everyone and yes, you have to have a car with internal combustion engine as an alternative for those journeys where the electric is not enough or we would be a disorder having to depend on one or more refills intermediate.

A case

Javier Espallargues lives in Villafranca del Castillo, 30 kilometers from Madrid, and bought a year ago one Renault ZOE for his wife Patricia, who is a consultant and should go to Madrid every day to make several visits or take the AVE to travel to another city. Before having the ZOE this meant a big expense in the car park at the station and parking meters, plus the hassle of having to be changing the ticket of “ORA” every few minutes.

Image Source: Google Image

“In my case we have bought the electric car to save the overhead involved us park in regulated parking areas.”

The reason for buying this ZOE was this, go to work and take advantage of these benefits of electric cars enjoyed (and use the HOV lanes for high occupancy vehicles even if we alone in the car). But quickly it expanded to use weekends (without leaving trip, of course) because, in the end, the ZOE does not rest and fight for him. If one day the wife of Javier does not need it , it takes it to work, which is 35 kilometers from his home.

His ZOE is black (less efficient because it heats up with the sun and forced to work more air conditioning) and as you can see in the pictures, even if it means going well shod a loss of autonomy. But it is that Javier likes cars and as he himself told us “when we bought the ZOE wanted a car with a reasonable acquisition price, it was nice and it had the characteristics of a traditional car (equipment, aesthetics, etc.). So I chose the black and alloy wheels, wanted to see my car liked me”.

With the ZOE get a real autonomy between 110 and 120 kilometers, but usually do not travel more than 80. “The only paths where you’re most embarrassed and have to make a more efficient driving are those that include M-40, there already go hurry and come home with something less than 30 km of autonomy and do not know if it’s real or psychological but you’re saying oysters, oysters I’ll stick pulled” says Javier.

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So this ZOE lives

A normal day in the life of this ZOE is leaving home early, go to Madrid and make several visits without leaving the city, covering different short distances up to head back Villafranca del Castillo late in the day. Either that or go to Atocha station to stay parked on the street all day or even several days. And on weekends they use it for anything other than travel outside Madrid.

It’s a family of four and has another car and a scooter for the day. That other car is a Honda Civic, which was previously a Citroen C8 because younger children need much space. Now with the Civic them used to travel and make those trips to the ZOE is not enough without needing a recharge. In fact this has only been recharged ZOE away from home once in all his life year and 15,000 km (and it was a scheduled refueling), indicating that is no substitute for long trips but also that it is possible everyday use.

To the question of the advantages of the electric car in Javier responds us that”the main thing for them is parking on the street and lane HOV Bus” . Highlights the ZOE that “does everything well, not particularly outstanding in anything but complies in all parameters“. “As points for improvement would ask more autonomy and better quality in some car components, such as handsfree, you hear best phone by connecting it to the auxiliary jack that Bluetooth”.

Many advantages, for now

I must say that Javier is an early adopter of all that is technology and likes to try all kinds of gadgets (smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.), which is a brake less when deciding on an innovative vehicle.

Sure you know, but just in case I tell you: batteries ZOE are not owned but leased. Javier and Patricia have the car leasing, contract with an annual 20,000 kilometers (15,000 have done this year) and paid a hundred dollars rent for the batteries. Regarding this told us that “at first I was a rejection, but when you explain that in this way you can be calm because the battery is not yours and is the most prone to malfunction (and expensive) element and gives the possibility that, if they take an improved, you change it”.

“Failing to see how it evolves over the years, if it breaks or not or if it is true that take a better battery in two or three years, for now I am satisfied. In addition the car has not had any trouble yet. It was only the bluish chrome was the diamond of the grille (fixed under warranty)”.

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We asked if satisfied with the purchase and if repeated with an electric car: “Yes, completely satisfied. Today repeated with another power, since in our case which saves only paid parking the car battery and quota leasing”. To this we must add that recharges face not even two dollars of cost.

What if the situation changed and you did not have these special advantages to be electric? “That I believe that the accounts do not leave me, I would have to review and evaluate consumption, maintenance, etc. For me it is a purchase studied from a financial point of view.”

Does it change your driving when you get behind the wheel of ZOE? “Yes, it’s a more relaxed driving, invites you to make a more efficient driving once past the initial deadline to give the piston at low speed to enjoy their tremendous boost. You are then passed, as happens to you psychosis of autonomy. When I was buying valuing buy a BMW i3 by REX Extender, but after calculating the daily trips I decided on the ZOE and now cannot imagine buying an electric with a motor to extend autonomy. In fact my aim would be able at some point to buy a Tesla Model 3″.

Finally Javier told us something that is on everyone’s mind when talking about electric cars, believing that it is still too early to think of a mass adoption of electric concept and, selfishly, he would prefer that and follow a while, and that at the time that electric cars will disappear popularize the advantages currently enjoyed and the price of electricity is more expensive.

Innovations have a risk and this type of aid and benefits are the prize for which they throw value and rush to try new things.