Let’s be honest – if you’re used to gasoline cars, your first days with an EV feel like you’ve joined a secret club where everyone speaks a slightly different dialect of “Car.”
And if you’re wondering what’s the biggest life-changer?
Regenerative braking and one-pedal driving?
Yeah, sounds fancy. But once you experience it… you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it 🙂
At first, regenerative braking feels like the car has decided it has trust issues and wants to control your every move.
You lift your foot off the accelerator – BAM – the car slows down like you’ve hit an invisible brake.
Your brain, raised on the good old “right pedal go, left pedal stop” rulebook, starts short-circuiting.
“Wait, wait, WAIT — who’s in charge here?! Is it me or you, (Tesla)?! WHO’S DRIVING THIS CAR?!”
But after a few rides, your foot pressure control becomes Jedi-level.
You start to glide through traffic like a boss, timing your lifts perfectly to roll to a buttery-smooth stop at the red light.
Peak-hour traffic?
No worries.
You’re chilling while others are mashing their brakes and burning through their patience.
Small tip: you may want to turn regenerative braking off on the freeway. At leas at first time and while getting comfortable.
Otherwise, the moment you lift your foot to scratch your nose, your car might slow down so fast you’ll make the guy behind you question all his life choices.
Before owning an EV, I thought range anxiety was some made-up marketing buzzword.
Turns out… it’s a full-time emotion.
I became that guy checking the battery percentage like my life depended on it.
You know how your smartphone battery is always judging you silently?
Yeah, your EV does it LOUDLY.
Like, “Hey champ, you sure you wanna drive 50km with just 22% left? Feeling lucky today?”
Eventually, I learned to focus more on the range estimation rather than the battery percentage.
(Pro tip: It will save you some heart attacks.)
Driving an EV made me plan like never before.
No more spontaneous trips. No more “Oh, let’s just pop over to that cute town 150km away!” unless you’ve already mapped every fast charger within a 5km radius like a general planning a battlefield.
It’s not bad. Actually, it’s oddly satisfying.
You start to think ahead, become smarter, and slowly turn into a slightly annoying person who says things like:
“Well, according to my calculations and the available charging infrastructure…”
Look, when was the last time you had a full-blown conversation with a stranger while filling up your petrol car?
Never. Exactly.
People at petrol stations are on a strict “Don’t make eye contact” mission.
But at EV chargers?
Oh, man. It’s a social event.
You’re standing there awkwardly, plugging in cables the size of baby anacondas, and suddenly you’re best friends with the guy charging next to you. People start swapping stories about charge speeds, cable types, road trips, weird EV glitches…
Tesla owners especially love asking why you’re NOT driving a Tesla, like you just turned down free pizza.
“Wait, you chose a Polestar over Tesla? You okay, man? Need a hug?”
EV drivers are genuinely a positive, nerdy, funny bunch.
Coming from Estonia, I didn’t expect that.
But honestly?
It’s kinda awesome.
Saturday afternoon. Sun is shining. I’m in a good mood.
Battery’s low, but no problem – there are plenty of chargers around, right?
Right??
Cut to me, stressed out, going charger to charger like a contestant on “The Amazing Race: EV Edition.”
Except every location had a different twist:
Wrong plug type
Broken charger
“Fast charger” that was actually a slow one where 40 minutes = +2% battery (I wish I was joking)
Seriously, about HALF the chargers near me were either broken, busy, or just straight up abandoned like a Wild West ghost town.
At some point, I started questioning my life decisions.
Charger companies, if you’re listening: Can we please fix this?
A working, reliable, fast charger shouldn’t feel like winning the lottery.
Especially for people without a garage or wall charger at home, this is a real challenge.
Buying an EV should not come with a mandatory side quest called “Develop Patience and Problem-Solving Skills 101.”
When you ask new EV owners why they made the switch, you’ll usually hear:
“Because it’s good for the environment!”
“Zero tailpipe emissions!”
“Saving the planet!”
All beautiful reasons. Truly.
But let’s keep it real…
Once they feel the insane instant acceleration?
Oh, honey. That’s when the real love story starts.
You tap the pedal, and BOOM, you’re flying down the road like Iron Man on a sugar rush.
No lag, no engine growl, just pure silent rocket launch power.
That acceleration becomes your guilty pleasure, your secret weapon, your daily “look how cool I am” moment.
Saving the planet is wonderful – but outrunning that annoying guy in the “BMW” at the lights?
Even better 😉
Absolutely.
Electric driving is thrilling, weird, humbling, occasionally frustrating… And completely addictive.
Sure, you’ll stress a bit about chargers.
Sure, you’ll become a range-math genius.
Sure, you’ll have random strangers quiz you about your EV choices.
But you’ll also discover a new, exciting way to interact with the world around you – one that feels cleaner, smarter, and way more fun.
And yeah… you’ll start bragging about regenerative braking to your friends until they tell you to shut up.
(It’s okay. They’re just jealous.)
Also, important note:
Many of the struggles described earlier – like hunting for a working charger – are already becoming a thing of the past.
The public charging infrastructure today is way better than even a couple of years ago.
Sure, in some countries it’s still catching up, and yes, there are still gaps here and there. But overall?
Finding a charger is now pretty easy, and the time spent charging often lines up perfectly with real-life needs – like grabbing a coffee, using the restroom, or enjoying a quick lunch.
In other words, charging an EV nowadays is often no more of a hassle than stopping at a petrol station with a regular car.
Except now you’re sipping your cappuccino knowing you’re part of the future. ☕⚡
Yes, I’m fully aware of all the recent noise around Elon Musk and the way some people have started turning away from Tesla because of him.
But for me, that’s not a reason to abandon my Tesla Model S.
I’ve had it for a long time, and it has proven itself again and again as a truly remarkable piece of technology.
It’s worth remembering that Elon Musk wasn’t the original founder of Tesla — he came in later with the money he made from his eBay and PayPal deal and took over, eventually pushing out the true innovators who actually started the company.
So while one man’s actions can certainly cause a lot of headlines, it doesn’t erase the fact that Tesla cars, especially the early ones like mine, represent a massive leap forward and still stand strong in the future of driving.
And one more thing:
The emotions I shared earlier in this article?
Those were based on experiences from my past nearly eight years ago.
Today, the EV world looks a whole lot better, brighter, and a lot more exciting.
And it’s only getting started.
So if you’re thinking about getting an EV, just know:
You’re not just buying a car.
You’re buying a brand new way of life.
And possibly a lot more new friends 😀 – if you see me at a charger, come say hello!
I’m exploring what moves me – whether through building solutions, capturing the world with my camera, or walking unknown paths. I’m not chasing the future; I’m shaping it by staying curious, reflective, and open to what’s next.
