Midhurst Magazine. Issue 31, Spring, April 2020. The 60th year edition.
Future for Cars in Midhurst: Go Electric by Matthew Brandon The age of the electric car is slowly approaching, and it is only a matter of time until the government prohibit the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars in the UK by a renewed date of 2035. However, consumers are reluctant to invest in electric cars for a number of reasons, specifically cost, charge time, and vehicle range. This article aims to reassure readers about electric cars, and give a brief insight of what it’s like to own an electric car in Midhurst.
The Tesla Model 3 is a complete joy to drive around Midhurst and the surrounding area. The car runs silently yet delivers impressive performance and more than enough grip to take on the twists and turns of the country roads. There are also ample charging points around Midhurst and West Sussex to charge your vehicle, even two new chargers at North Street Car Park. Tesla also run their own Supercharger network across the UK, which can charge your car from 0-80% in 30 minutes whilst you’re having a coffee break.
What is an electric car? An electric car uses electric motors to turn the wheels and derives all its power from large rechargeable batteries. The size of a battery correlates to its power output and range. For instance, the Tesla Model 3 comes with a 50-kWh battery as standard, with a range of 254 miles, and 0-60 in 5.3 seconds which is more than enough to beat the majority of cars at the traffic lights in Midhurst!
The greatest benefit of buying an electric car is the exceptionally low running cost. I charge the car from my home using a Rolec 32A WallPod which charges my car overnight. Depending on your tariff, you can charge the car from 0-100% for as little as £7 which will give you an estimated range of over 250 miles. This is considerably cheaper than running my previous car which did 400 miles on a full tank. I have driven just over 5000 miles in my Tesla Model 3 yet only paid £150 in electricity to power the car.
Why did I buy an electric car? I bought an electric car after I calculated how much I was spending every week on petrol. Granted, I had a fuel guzzling petrol engine, but travelling around West Sussex and Surrey was costing me around £80 a week, or over £4,000 a year. So without even test driving the car, I preordered a Tesla Model 3 and waited three months for it to be shipped from California.
Another benefit of owning an electric car is that zero emissions are produced whilst driving, meaning cleaner air and a healthier 28
