Driving an Electric Car: Nobody Told Me These!

It didn’t hit me at first. My first ride in an electric car felt odd, silent in a way that made every road noise echo loudly. I hit the road in traffic, looking for that familiar mechanized roar, and was met with silence.

That wasn’t all that felt different. As I drove, I realized that this wasn’t a case of simply giving up gas—it was an entire different system of moving through the world.

Forget Horsepower: Here’s Where the Real Power Lies

It’s gratifying somehow to have instant torque. I’m not even a speed addict, but when I pushed the pedal down a little harder to pass when I was going up a ramp on the freeway, the electric motor kicked in immediately—and no lag, no gear change, no drama. The responsiveness under everyday driving conditions made me forget about waiting. In stop-and-go city traffic, it gave me smoother starts from traffic light stops and less frustration in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Yes, there is still range anxiety. But come on—it’s also a bit overstated. Beyond you maximum-outers covering over 250 miles a day (you need to sit down with me for that), most newer EVs will not strand you. I once underestimated a road trip and pulled up to a stop with 4 miles of battery power. Not a pretty sight, but a valuable lesson for planning smarter not harder.

Charging Does Not Suck, Unless You Allow It

One of the things that comes up most is, “What if I forget to charge it?” You won’t. It becomes second nature faster than brushing teeth. Plug it in at night, wake up charged. Done.

Public charging, a mixed bag. Some times I plugged in at a Level 3 charger and was back on the road in 20 minutes. Other times, I had to circle two times through a zone looking for one which wasn’t ICE’d (occupied by an ICEer, i.e., a gas vehicle). But when I did the math for the monthly bill, I was only averaging $25–$35 per month for a full month of charging at home, less than a single tank of gas once used to cost me.

And if you find yourself wondering whether you should buy a charger at home, the quick response is, do it. It’s paid for itself within a year.

The Biggest Money Saver Is One You Do Not Think About

I used to save for oil changes, for the flush and replacement of the serpentine belt, the entire nine yards. All that is over. No oil, no timing belt, no smog inspection when you have an electric. The regenerative braking system even helps reduce brake pad wear. I’ve had it for 16 months and required only windscreen wash fluid and replacement wiper blades.

Battery aging? Much less than you would be made to think by the commentators of the web. One year and 12,000 miles down the road, my battery health is only 1.5% lower, my onboard diagnostics tell me. I’ve seen laptops go downhill in three months.

I Started Watching EV YouTubers Like I Was Watching Netflix Shows

I confess, I binge-watched YouTube reviews as if it was a crime drama television show. From teardown experts to road trippers who sleep in their Teslas, there was a world I was unaware of. The most surprising thing to me was the number of creators who filmed their switch to electric as simply regular people.

And let me add this, if you do end up starting your own channel with electric car driving, you might as well give it your oomph when you are first starting. Sites build faster when you give them a little boost. Doing something like https://views4you.com/buy-youtube-subscribers/ will boost your viewership by as much as 63% in the first 30 days, especially when combined with quality niche content and SEO-tagged video. I have seen micro creators jump from a starting spot of zero to sponsored deals by optimizing the growth phase with an early boost.

The Dirty Reality: EVs Aren’t All Rainbows and Sunshine

Let’s call a spade a spade. Not all is peaches and cream. There are still cars out there with flaky infotainments that make you long for knobs and dials. I’ve had experiences where software updates have bricked my back-up camera for a little while. One cold winter morning, the cold siphoned off 18% of my range before I’d even departed the driveway.

Charging points? The best you can say is hit-or-miss. Some charging points are spotless and efficient, others look deserted. You religiously use apps to survey live availability and reviews from users.

And for goodness’ sake, proprietary charging ports? It is like having to carry five different charging cables for your phones.

Environmental Halo or Green Guilt? Investigating Manufacturing

One of the most contentious arguments for driving an electric vehicle is the actual impact on the environment. Sure, lithium and cobalt extraction is a genuine problem. However, comparative lifecycle analysis still finds EVs lower across the board once a gas vehicle is put into operation for about 18 months.

The catch is when it’s grid power. If you live in a region still depending a great deal on coal, the “clean” aspect of your daily trip is much less certain. I’m fortunate to live in a region that comes out to something like 42% renewables for the grid mix, so I’m okay—but I do urge you to look at your regional utility profile to find the actual carbon arithmetic.

Should You Switch? It All Depends Who You Are

If you like predictability, tranquillity, and simplification, then driving an electric car can be a journey to the future. If you are the kind of person who lives by the joy of map-less road trips and the rumble of an engine, it will be a harder sell. For me, the move made sense once I got used to working with the expectations.

No, it will not hip you in a day. But it will make your daily routine easier in small ways. It’s a thrill no longer having to return to a gas pump. And I’ve had more conversations in parking lots than I’d had in my entire lifetime, people are curious, interested, skeptical. A college-age person approached me a week ago and asked me how much I spent a month. That turned into a test drive the very next day.

FAQs

Can you jump-start another car using an electric vehicle?

No, most electric vehicles aren’t designed to jump-start other cars. Unlike gasoline cars, EVs usually don’t have a traditional 12-volt battery with enough capacity to safely deliver a jump. Attempting to do so could damage the vehicle’s electrical system. If you regularly help jump others, consider carrying a dedicated jump starter instead.

How do electric cars handle in heavy rain or flooding conditions?

Electric vehicles are generally safe to drive in heavy rain because their battery packs and high-voltage systems are sealed and rigorously tested for water resistance. However, just like gas-powered cars, you should never drive through deep floodwaters—EV or not. The risk isn’t electrical shock; it’s stalling, traction loss, or getting stranded.

Do EV tires wear out faster than gas car tires?

Yes, slightly. Electric cars often experience faster tire wear because of their heavier weight and instant torque delivery, especially if the driver accelerates aggressively. To compensate, many EV-specific tires are made with stiffer sidewalls and unique tread compounds. Rotating tires more frequently—every 5,000–7,000 miles—can help extend their lifespan.