Fiona's first electric car

How the pandemic helped Fiona's family take the first steps towards owning an EV

Like many of us, Fiona had some reservations about swapping her petrol car for an electric model. Fiona's concerns were common - mainly around the driving range of an EV, now known as ‘range anxiety’, as well as the charging infrastructure available.

"The idea of having an electric vehicle has been mentioned sporadically in my family for the last few years – yet we’ve simply dismissed it as not being for us."

Fiona lives in a two-car household, and the family also have a touring caravan, so they need a car that is strong enough to pull it! Living in an urban area, Fiona mainly drives around the town and county, and is used to using public transport for longer journeys. 

Then the pandemic struck, and like most of us, Fiona's life changed dramatically. This turn of events made her take the option of switching to an electric vehicle far more seriously, with concerns around our local environment suddenly becoming more pressing.

"We don’t need to drive everywhere. While human contact is very important, I don’t have to drive 15,000 miles a year to meet clients; I can cut that down."

As the world ground to halt in 2020, we all become more aware of the nature's ability to recover when human activity quiets down. We saw this in major worldwide sites like Venice, as well as closer to home. Fiona was surprised to see foxes, herons, kingfishers and even an otter appearing along her local canal. For Fiona, this realisation brought the need for us to be more gentle on our planet into the fore.

Fiona also felt more confident to take the first step towards EV ownership when she saw the pace at which the EV infrastructure is evolving – making it easier to plan longer journeys and charge on-the-go.

"For longer journeys, I first ask if I can go by train - if not, I can plan a comfort break along the way which allows me to charge my car."

While Fiona doesn't describe herself as a 'green' person, she is very aware that the climate emergency is here.

"Today I have to face the fact that if we don’t act collectively, it will impact my children and grandchildren. Floods, wildfires, coastal erosion, landslips – this is all gaining pace rapidly, and it does involve us."

Fiona noted that her children are more 'eco-minded', and that it seem more natural for their generation to do so, as well as a growing awareness of the need to prioritise planet over profit. 

Fiona works in PR, and is pleased to be working with more and more clients with sustainable priorities.

"The businesses I work with show what’s possible, and often how it saves money... the latter is the kicker isn’t it?!"

Taking all of the above into consideration, Fiona is now excited to say that she's taken the plunge! In two weeks her sporty Mini will be gone, ready for her new EV to arrive. Having done plenty of research and taken two test drives with her two favourite models, she is thrilled to have committed to this new reality.

On the test drives, Fiona was surprised by both the speed and the smooth ride of the electric models. She also quickly adapted to driving an automatic, something which she felt doubtful about, being a lifelong manual driver.

Fiona has booked her home charging point installation, and is looking into useful apps, public charging options and subscription models like Co Charger, ready to start her new journey as an EV driver.

"I do believe – as I have my whole life and career – that real change comes when we collectively make small incremental changes. One person can make a difference if only to inspire one other person to make a change. That’s my modest mission."

If Fiona's story has inspired you to get behind the wheel of an EV, you can read our guide to buying an EV here, or find out more about your charging options here.