5 Reasons We Don’t Regret Buying Our Electric Car
It has been one year since we bought our Tesla. One week into owning it and I knew I would never go back to a regular car again. A year later, and I still stand by that statement. Here are five reasons I love our electric car.
1. Low Cost Maintenance
Our old car constantly needed expensive maintenance. At one point, the trunk wouldn’t open anymore (not even manually) and fixing it cost a fortune. I remember we lost the fob key and it was $500 to replace it. Tesla updates the software by itself much like a computer would and the key to the car is your phone Tesla app. There is also a card the same size as a credit card that you can use just in case you don’t have your phone or if it’s dead. Which, by the way, the Tesla allows you to charge your phone without any annoying cords. The key card is only $25 to replace if lost. Our old car needed constant oil changes, brake pad replacements, and the list goes on. The Tesla decelerates on its own when you lift your foot off the accelerator so the brake pads are barely used and there is no oil to change. The entire car runs on a huge battery so there aren’t a lot of parts and pieces that require maintenance. The only thing we have spent money on for maintenance are new tires (thanks NOLA potholes).
2. No Gas? YES PLEASE.
We spent a MINIMUM of $120 on gas per month on our old car. For our Tesla, we just plug in every evening to a regular 120 outlet. We usually can fully charge two nights in a row if the battery is low, but we aren’t driving far distances so once overnight gets us back up to where we need for our city driving. Honestly, I have not seen an increase to our Entergy bill at all. Maybe that’s because Orleans Parish doesn’t actually calculate how much we use each month, but if they do, I’ve seen no difference from previous years. The most we have ever spent at a Supercharger station when we go on road trips is $23 to fully charge. We go on maybe one far road trip a year, so this is really not a big deal and way less money spent charging than buying gas.
3. Minimal Chic
The big touch screen in the middle of the car is what you use for speed, maps, music, AC/heat control, and everything else. There are no buttons, dials, or shifts to use. The inside is very minimal looking. When I get into a regular car, the screen almost looks comical to me now because they are so small and surrounded by a million different nozzles. The touchscreen took both my husband and I the longest to get used to, but now it’s no big deal and I don’t even notice. The screen is interactive and has shown someone walking across the street and beeped at me not to go even when that person wasn’t even in my vision yet. Like most standard newer cars, it can sense when another car is in the lane you’re switching to, has a reverse camera to help with parallel parking, and alerts you when you are too close to a curb. However, the biggest difference is that you can see everything on the screen and it beeps at you when you come close to making a mistake.
4. Comfy and Roomy
One of my favorite features of the Tesla is being able to cool the car down before getting in. This is a key function for NOLA summer heat. You control it from your phone app so you can do it from far away in your house, work, or store and it will turn on cooling for you before you have to get in. The car itself is comfortable and seats can adjust like regular car seats. The entire roof is a giant window so the car feels roomy and bright, not at all claustrophobic. When I first got in, it kind of felt like I was in a spaceship. I love being able to look at the live oaks on St. Charles and clear skies above when on a road trip. It makes the whole car feel bigger.
5. Vehicle Location
Unfortunately, we have been victims of vehicle theft. Our old car was stolen earlier this summer and there was no way for us to find it. The technology just didn’t exist yet. Tesla’s are very unlikely to be stolen since you can always see where it is on the Tesla app and control it from the app. Please don’t tell my husband that I sometimes spy on him to see what song he is listening to or how fast he’s driving.
