I drove an EV to Italy & had constant AC and range anxiety – but Elon Musk could solve everyone’s problems with a change
A MOTORIST who took her EV on a road trip to Italy has claimed that she had range anxiety throughout, but that Elon Musk could easily fix the problems she faced.
Daisy Goodwin and her husband Marcus decided to make the mammoth, 950-mile journey after having two flights cancelled as they attempted to make it over to southern Tuscany for a friend’s wedding.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Daisy said that following the flight fiasco, she and Marcus hopped in their Audi E-Tron and made for the South Coast.
Given that, according to Daisy, the E-Tron has a range of about 200 miles “if you turn off the air conditioning”, they were set to need a number of charging breaks along the way – and this is where the issues arose.
She wrote: “Owning an electric car is a bit like being a new parent. Spontaneity is a thing of the past. Every trip has to be planned with meticulous precision.
“We drove through South London on our way to Folkestone with plenty of time in hand to charge while waiting for the Shuttle.
“Sadly, when we got to Folkestone we realised this was Elon Musk’s world. The only chargers in the car park were for Tesla drivers.
“Don’t get me wrong, some of my best friends are Tesla drivers, but I think everyone deserves the right to charge.”
To make matters worse, she claimed that the range of the car dropped by 50 miles while they were sitting still on the Eurotunnel train, leaving them arguing over whether to turn off the air con to boost it back up.
Fortunately, they managed to get to a charger that they could use just after arriving in northern France.
However, Daisy still identified charging as a “downside” of electric car ownership due to the sheer amount of time it takes.
Nonetheless, she tried to see the stops as a “blessing in disguise”, allowing a chance to rest up from the journey.
A further two stops went off without a hitch before they arrived at their hotel, only to discover that the charging point there was also Tesla-only.
After a “spectacular” drive through the Alps, by way of a hotel with a charger that actually worked, they arrived in Italy around two and a half days after leaving London.
The return drive was similarly marked by charging struggles but Daisy concluded that, overall, the trip had been an enjoyable one.
She praised the Audi for its comfort and said it “began to fill the gap” of being empty-nesters.
However, she added: “It really isn’t easy being green.
“Of course, electric cars are expensive now, but the price will come down over time and the range anxiety will lessen as technology improves and charging times get shorter.
“Perhaps Elon Musk will realise eventually that letting other EV drivers use his network is the right thing to do.”
Audi did not wish to comment.
Tesla have been contacted for comment.
It comes after The Sun’s own Rob Gill tested and reviewed the new Honda CR-V.
Meanwhile, a beloved car was revived as a hybrid model with plenty of differences to its former self.