Tim Dowling and his wife recently purchased a new electric car, but the transition from their old vehicle has been far from smooth. The couple found themselves grappling with a steep learning curve, from understanding regenerative braking to dealing with a voice-activated system that seems to have a mind of its own.
No Farewell to the Old Car
Dowling notes that saying goodbye to an old car is not part of the dealership experience. The vehicle is simply left in the car park, keys already taken, awaiting its next owner. Instead, the couple was escorted to their new electric car, still damp from a recent wash, where a salesperson was explaining the dashboard display and steering column toggles.
“That blue bar there,” the salesperson said, “shows the level of regenerative braking at any given …” But Dowling, exhausted after two long showroom visits, cut him off: “OK, thanks, bye,” he said, pulling away.
Confusion from the Start
Once on the road, Dowling admitted he had no idea what any of the controls meant. “I don’t know what any of this means,” he told his wife, waving at the screen and dashboard. She suggested they study the manual, but Dowling was already struggling with basic functions like indicating.
At home, his wife spent an hour trying to figure out how to manually fold in the wing mirrors while driving, rather than relying on the automatic setting that only activates after the car is off. “To fit in the drive,” she said. “There must be a way.”
A Long Journey with a Steep Learning Curve
The couple had a hard deadline for buying the car due to the old vehicle’s approaching MOT, meaning they took possession just a day before a long car journey. Despite the rushed timeline, Dowling’s wife did more homework than he did. Shortly after setting off, she encouraged him to download the car’s app for a more meaningful connection between vehicle and phone. However, the car refused to allow the download while moving, even after pressing a button assuring it that he was a passenger. Eventually, the screen froze.
“Well, that’s it,” Dowling said. “Cut off, without information, lost and adrift.” His wife reminded him they were on the M3 and could use his phone’s map. But Dowling lamented, “I can’t even change the radio station now. I miss our old car.”
Consulting the manual, he discovered that pressing the power button for 10 seconds resets the screen. “Systems restored,” he announced. He then asked about eco mode, prompting his wife to shout, “OK, car! What is eco mode?” The car responded, “Got it. Switching to eco mode now.” When she clarified she only wanted an explanation, the car replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
Range Anxiety and a Mysterious Warning
Their destination was near the extent of the car’s range, but they made it with about 30 miles to spare. A few days later, they set off for home fully charged. “Now we know we can do it in one go,” his wife said, “you should find it less stressful.” Dowling remained uncertain, wondering whether range anxiety is a beginner’s ailment or a permanent condition.
As his wife negotiated a narrow country lane, the car pinged and a yellow warning light appeared. “Danger,” Dowling said, paraphrasing the manual. “Risk of damage, injury, death, etc.” His wife touched the screen to select Car Status, but the warning light update showed “no information available.” “Is it a secret?” Dowling asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “Do I carry on?” “What choice do we have?” he said.
Speculation and Resolution
A hundred miles later, Dowling was driving, watching the battery tick steadily downward. He theorized that the car had entered a signal blackspot, preventing its dynamic road sign assist function from operating, which explained why the car status screen had no information. The warning light disappeared as soon as they left the lane.
Later, the car pinged again to announce a diversion. “How many extra miles?” Dowling asked. His wife zoomed out on the map and estimated fifteen to twenty miles. As he moved into the left lane, a little yellow light went off in his head, questioning whether he’ll ever truly learn to love his new electric car.
