New Perspectives On Driving & Sustainability - Are You eReady?

Considering an electric vehicle (EV) but not sure what to expect? Roger, a conventional petrol car driver, shares his first experience of driving an EV!

QN: Could you give a self-introduction of yourself?

My name is Roger. I'm currently working as a sales manager for hospitality automation systems. I'm married to my beautiful wife, and I have a lovely two-year-old son as well, so I enjoy bringing him to the beach, outdoor gardens and parks as well, just to enjoy the sun and the sea. My own aspiration is really just to have a happy family.

QN: What are you driving now and why are you looking for an EV option?

I'm currently driving an X1, it's a compact SUV and I feel it's a very spacious car. Spacious enough for my son to have a lot of fun in the backseat and also for my wife, who's able to extend her legs fully in the passenger seat in front.

I feel that EVs are the future when it comes to transportation. Having sat in a couple of EVs as a passenger before, I felt that it was a very comfortable ride and I also feel that it contributes a lot to saving the earth as well. It is actually a very good initiative to have these kinds of cars in Singapore, especially when traffic is so heavy.

QN: What are some of the myths you have heard about EVs?

One of the things that kind of worries me about EVs, I would say, is the battery life, whether it can last long enough because I travel to Johor Bahru quite often, sometimes to Kuala Lumpur as well for some business trips. So up it's about 350 to 400km and down will be another 350 to 400km, so that's easily 800km covered in a single day itself.

That's where I thought, when driving the EV, I need to plan my route more carefully and make sure that I go to certain pit stops to recharge the battery so that I can sustain the entire journey.

QN: What will you be doing today?

So today, I'll be actually test-driving the IX; it's going to be my first time trying out an EV, so I’m really looking forward to experiencing the raw power and the ever-so-good handling of a BMW car itself because I'm very familiar with BMW.

Worries that I have, other than it being too powerful, might be the braking because I heard things about how it brakes like you don't have to really step on the brakes. I'm not really sure what it's going to be like, hope it will all go well later.

QN: How was the driving experience and has it debunked some myths for you?

One thing I love so far is that it's very silent; it is something that I don't think normal petrol cars have. Everything is just so silent, the acceleration, the movement; I knew even when I was sitting as a passenger that I could feel the power of EVs, but driving the IX myself really gave me a different perspective of what cars are actually like.

With so much gadgetry in there, it was like a toy to me. Also, you don't feel the braking as well, which was something really interesting, like how it was able to adapt to you. Overall, I think the ride itself was really very smooth and it did give me that additional push to want to change to an EV in the future.

QN: Are there still any worries about adopting an EV car?

After test-driving the car, I realised that I must really plan for my trips because I know now what the range is kind of like for the EVs; I need to make sure that before I reach my destination, like in KL, I must have a charging point somewhere in between.

I do see EVs becoming the primary vehicle option when it comes to cars in future and that it contributes not just to safer driving but to sustainability and positive climate change for Singapore and for the world in general. I think every single individual does play a part in contributing to this kind of change, so why not start with myself?

QN: What else will you do as an individual to help build a better environment for your child?

Because it will benefit not only me but the future generation as well, my kid, who's only two and a half years old, will grow up in a healthier and greener environment, and following that, this will impact not just him but even his future generation as well.

So all these things will still have to start from somewhere or from some time and I think now would be the best time to do so.

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This content is brought to you in collaboration with BMW Asia.