Why the Y..? It is the question I’m being asked now I’m driving an electric vehicle. It is a question I am happy to answer because I did a lot of research before buying one. When one of our drivers bought a Model Y for himself and showed me his fuel savings, it verified my research. I sense the trepidation in my passengers. On reflection, it is a challenging decision to invest in a new type of technology.
Thinking back, my first executive car had a V6 petrol engine. It was an Audi A6. It sounded awesome. I bought it with 150,000 miles on the clock and ran it for two years. My theory was, a big engine would be under less strain. It should therefore prolong the life of the car. I sold it with over 215,000 miles on the clock and it was still going strong.
From the Audi, I moved to Volvo and another petrol engine. I soon realised, I should have bought a diesel. The cohort of turbo diesels on sale at the start of the Millenium were increasingly impressive. They delivered more torque and power than an equivalent petrol engine with better fuel efficiency. I eventually had five Volvos equipped the D5 diesel engine.
Even when we moved to Mercedes, we kept a Volvo V70 on the fleet as a backup. It proved reliable for many years and eventually clocked over 425,000 miles. Diesel technology has improved vastly in the last two decades. It is still a viable option for anyone covering lots of motorway miles. Our new car was planned to be a diesel.
As a company, we would have happily bought another Mercedes but, things have changed: Our last E Class was £44,000 when new and we received a 14% discount off it. Interest rates were low too. In comparison, the latest (equivalent) Mercedes E Class is now £68,000 and interest rates are not attractive. There is no discount either. So, I researched an alternative vehicle.
First to consider was a hybrid car (or PHEV). This initially looked an option but, travelling on a motorway with the internal combustion carrying a large battery makes it a heavy car and uses more fuel. In addition, few garages will fix a hybrid car if it goes wrong. Regular technicians are not adequately trained or qualified. Diagnosing faults and ordering parts can be just as tricky.
I then looked at battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Most used ternary or NMC battery technology which has a bad press for catching fire. They are also slow to charge and suffer long-term battery degradation. The best option was LFP or Lithium Iron Phosphate Technology. There are two leading manufacturers in this field: BYD and CATL. Both supply Tesla.
The next issue to overcome was the conundrum of public charging. Although there are lots of networks and chargers popping up, most cost twice as much as a diesel vehicle per mile. One network stood out however and that was Tesla. With up to 250kW chargers available from as little as 44p/kWh, it was a clear winner.
Once I knew Tesla provided the best option, I then had to decide which model was most suitable. Of the four models on sale in the UK, the model S and X are only available in left-hand-drive. Of the two remaining vehicles, the Model 3 was too small. It didn’t have the space of an E Class nor the luggage capacity. This is why the Y was the only real choice.
It took many hours of research and investigation to reach a decision. It has been a challenge to also decide the right time to invest in an electric vehicle. Listening to our corporate customers however, new regulations are coming. A suppliers’ carbon footprint is a growing priority and a key selling point to an executive service. So, this is why the Y is our new car.