Welcome to the future.

[saabluster]

I just leased my first electric last weekend. A 2013 FFE in Ice Storm and leather seats. What a magnificent car!!! I am a car guy and have been one since before I could walk. I designed and fabricated my own headers, intercooler, and turbo setup. I was deep into ICE.

My main love for 20 years now has been Saabs. Hence my name here. Anyway I have in the past year been pining for a Tesla Model S but I simply can't afford one. That car however has caused me to really consider electric as an option. I remember hearing about the Tesla Roadster years ago and thinking that it was nothing but a toy with its short range. The Model S was able to change my mindset. I began to really think about what one really needs on a day to day basis. It occurred to me that I really didn't require all that much from my second car. My wife's commute is 26 miles roundtrip. Completely in the range of the FFE and Leaf. I liked the idea of clean driving. I like the idea of lower maintenance. I like the idea of instant torque. What really pushed it all over the edge for me was when I realized I could do all that and reduce my monthly bill overall vs sticking to an ICE car.

So I started out by test driving the Leaf. I thought- "well that wasn't bad at all". Kind of cool actually. Not the looks mind you. But I loved that it didn't drive like a pig like the last Prius I drove. I then went and tested the FFE out and I was blown away. Just blown away. Remarkably refined. Silky smooth drivetrain. So so quiet. Technically advanced. Fun to drive. And drop dead beautiful. I just know that there are tons of families that would fall in love with this thing if they only knew. If they only knew not to look at the window sticker. This car is a bargain when taking into consideration all the factors. I am a very very happy man. I'm proud of Ford. I really hope this takes off for them more than it has. The car deserves it. I will say that I am already eying the genIII Tesla and only got a three year lease because of where I expect the electric car industry to be in three years. If Ford can continue to develop EVs then they just might have me for more than one car.

As it is I have to say that after a few days of the FFE I am done with ICE. I'm stuck with it for a bit mind you as we purchased a 2012 Mazda5 last year. But I am in my soul completely done with ICE. Every time I get into my Mazda5 now it feels like a dinosaur. The vibration at idle. The gearshifting. The vroom vroom. The exhaust. It all seems so crass. So antiquated. Just like the incandescent bulb is now giving way to LEDs the automobile is moving into a new era. I am glad I have embraced the future. Because...well, it's the future!

 

[WattsUp]

Thanks for sharing this. I feel exactly the same way... very well said!

It only took a week (maybe less) of driving around in my FFE, and I started seeing all the ICE-mobiles idling around me at stoplights as, well, "antiques", as you put it. Look at the fools... drowning their old-fashioned machines in oil, belching out pollution as they go. And "crass" --- hehe, I laughed when you said that.

And, yes, I wish everyone could know what the experience of driving an EV is like. I seriously think most people would instantly see how much better it is. Sure, some people may want more power, more performance... but, the silence, the fluidity of the driving experience, and the (hopefully) lower overall costs, simpler maintenance, and (hopefully) increased reliability... I think these things hold deep appeal to the consumer mind. Costs will get even lower, more performance will come... I especially look forward to the day when the affordable EV sports cars come out and just blow the doors of any ICE sports car out there.

Someone once said, when something new appears that is "obviously" better (in some important regard) than something else, the attachment that people hold to that something else instantly vanishes. As soon as people realized that MP3 players were "better" (in terms of vastly more convenient access to music), they completely abandoned all other forms of portable audio. I hope that day comes for ICE vehicles.

 

[Ram]

I agree too. I have had my FFE for five months and I just hate getting into an ICE car now. When we go out to lunch I always want to drive . I have let as many people drive my Focus as are willing and they all love the feel. I have two other vehicles that run on biodiesel. I like knowing I am not buying petrofuel but driving them still feels prehistoric vs. the clean smooth acceleration of the electric.

 

[DavidJohnson]

I agree that SaabLuster did a great job explaining how many of us feel about the FFE (or other BEVs). It's nice to know that we aren't alone out there. I too have begun viewing ICEs as dinosaurs that haven't gone extinct yet. I recently switched from a couple of SVT vehicles (Cobra and Focus) and am looking forward to a little more performace-oriented versions of BEVs. The future does indeed look bright!

 

[Ram]

High Performance electrics? Tesla seems to prove this is not an oxymoron. I have seen on YouTube a model S beat an SRT Viper, a BMW M5, and a Mercedes AMG in the 1/4 mile. Wouldn't be fun to have an FFE with an under 6 second zero to 60 time. My electricity is straight from the sun via my solar panels so I wouldn't feel too bad about burning through some electrons. Let's hope some battery breakthroughs will materialize so we can get some more range and performance. Keep putting money in battery technology everybody.