OK, if you already read my previous post “Why Trade my Prius for a Tesla?” then you probably saw that I wrote:
“This is not for everyone! It seems like this car was designed by tech geeks for tech geeks.” or
“Some might be a little uncomfortable with the computer controlling EVERYTHING, as they’re barreling down the road at break-neck speed. For them, this is not a car they should buy.”
Well, I changed my mind (in one day)!
This car IS for seniors! And you can quote me on that… Let me explain.
This car is as simple as simple can be. No engine. No noise. Nothing to break. And it’s safe and comfortable. Of course there is the little matter of the ‘computer that controls everything’ to deal with. But really, you only have to deal with that once, and then everything (well, almost everything) else is normal car stuff. And to be realistic, take your smart watch, smart phone, smart TV, tablet, and PC – who helped you set those things up when you bought them? Your grand kids did! And they’ll be the ones to help initially configure your new Tesla for you… or watch Jeremiah’s YouTube video (here). He does a great job walking through all the settings, showing you what he prefers and why.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, there are a few prerequisites to owning a fully electric (or plug-in hybrid) vehicle. Here’s the list:
- a relatively new smart phone – your flip phone won’t cut it
- safe covered or enclosed parking area
- a fast charging device like the Tesla Wall Connector, or access to something like this in a safe, off-street location
- a few smart grand-kids…
That’s pretty much it. And if you’re in a location like a senior community where you have safe parking areas but not the charging infrastructure that makes owning an EV practical, now’s the time to start having that discussion with your property owners. EVs are coming and seniors WILL benefit, but there’s work to be done to accommodate this change in most communities.
That’s all I’m going to say about this for the moment, but being a ‘senior’ and having taken the leap to full electric, I’m starting to see the benefit of simplifying the car ownership experience that we all have become accustomed to. Engines, gas, oil, brakes… these are things of the past. Plug-in and go, and replace your tires every 30 – 40k. That’s it.
