The following is a discussion with Aussie electric vehicle (EV) owner Adele, who has a Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor 2022.
EDITOR: I’m going to publish a regular series of articles with the views of Australian EV owners about their purchase, driving, servicing, charging etc experience.
This will help fill an information gap as the majority of electric car news articles are about new car launches and there’s relatively little published about the longer term Australian ownership experience after you’ve paid for your electric car. Hopefully this shared information helps other Aussies make their own EV purchase decision.
Was your electric car bought or leased?
Mine was leased.
Please describe your purchasing / lease process experience … Easy, Mediocre, Frustrating..?
Easy – however I was in the EV industry so maybe that was an advantage?
What has the regular servicing / dealership experience been like?
Great – had to get the boot repaired and Tesla QLD serviced in the same day.
How do you regularly charge your car for day to day usage?
Plug in to standard PowerPoint at home (whenever it’s convenient for me).
What has your day to day normal charging experience been like?
Great. Like my phone I keep track of the car’s battery and then make sure I have it charged when it needs it.
How do you charge your car for longer road trips on the weekend or during holidays? Do you prefer any particular brand of public fast charger during road trips eg Evie, Tesla, Chargefox and why?
I generally use Evie as my road trips are mostly Brisbane to Kingaroy to visit my sister at her farm.
Evie and Chargefox are really reliable – Tesla is good in an emergency but expensive. AMPCharge is also good, but hard to get access to as they only have 1x unit at Carseldine.
What’s the farthest road trip you’ve done in your EV and what did you learn from this experience that would be useful for others to know?
Sydney to Brisbane. Just like our parents did in the 80’s with their “Gregory’s” maps… all you need to do is plan your trip before you go to find the best places to stop, charge, and refresh.
EDITOR: when planning electric car road trips in Australia I suggest installing at a minimum these apps on your phone and setting them up with your planned route, logins and payment methods for the charging apps well before you leave (not on the day you’re leaving):
- Planning: A Better Route Planner and Plugshare
- Charging: Tesla, Evie, Chargefox, BP Pulse, AMPCharge
If you have roadside assist included with the car purchase/lease and have had to use it, which company provided the service and what was that experience like?
Don’t have roadside assist.
If you have had issues with your car and asked for these to be fixed under warranty, did the car brand do the right thing and fix it without causing you stress?
Yes! When I had a problem with the boot Tesla in Brisbane were super fast and fixed the boot quickly.
What are the 3 strongest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
Range. Comfort. Speed.
What are the 3 weakest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
Brand perception. Aesthetics. Reputation
Would you buy or lease this brand of electric car again and recommend it to others?
Yes – I previously owned an M3 BMW and was worried I wouldn’t have the same experience. But this car is fast and fun to drive!
Do you have any other comments about your electric car brand, experience etc?
I’d never go back to petrol again. Not because of cost or environmental aspects, but for driving experience. It’s so fun to drive!!!
If you’re an Australian electric vehicle owner and would like to participate in this interview series by sharing your experience please contact me directly or add a comment below and let me know.
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