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What does your electric car say about you?

Do you ever wonder how people perceive you while driving your Electric Vehicle? There are so many gas cars that most of them don’t say much about the driver. There are exceptions.
Electric Car

• 15 passenger van – likely large family of home schoolers
• Pick up Truck – likely wears cowboy boots, likes country music and owns a gun
• Minivan – likely married with children
• Smart gas car – Likely works for Barnum and Bailey and wears a red nose and large red shoes.

Some EVs blend in, and some stand out. The EV driver is probably more concerned with range than perception. There are so many types of drivers but figuring out a stereotype for each car is almost impossible but let’s give it a try anyway.

For example: what do you think of when you see a person get out of a Tesla, or gets out of a Prius?

Where Tesla screams lets play, a Prius screams you’re all grown up now and retired.

So we have smart and sexy vs. dependable but boring. Now if Toyota put an Insanity Button inside a Prius would its image change? Would you have a different attitude toward that regening Prius ahead of you on the highway?

Maybe or maybe not. So what stereotypes are we creating for our Electric Vehicles? I’ve taken a stab at creating some consumer profiles for our favorite EVs we all know and love.

So here is my best guess by car:

• Tesla – IPO Teenager, innovator and ahead of their time.
• Nissan Leaf – Early adopter but can’t afford a Tesla
• BMW I3 – Loves to have status symbols, but can’t afford a Tesla
• I-Meiv – Thought this was hybrid, and didn’t know what Range was...buts its so cute!!!!?
• Electric Smart for 2 – A funny man, still has a red nose and entertains kids but accelerates quickly compared to the gas car Smart Driver.

Thus, as some judge us by the words we use, others judge us by the car we drive.

Electric Vehicle News and Reviews
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Comments

Russ Finley (not verified)    May 30, 2015 - 8:26PM

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"Where Tesla screams lets play." To me it screams "I'm shallow, well-off, and over 60," or "This is my dad's car."

JeffS (not verified)    May 31, 2015 - 5:56AM

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Good day Doug. Different Take;
Tesla; Nascar wanna be, who can push in a plug but can't figure out how to use a gas nozzle.
Nissan Leaf; Likes the Leaf, especially the Leaf sold in Colorado.
BMW I3; Doesn't know how to spell, really wanted an M3.
I-Miev; Saw this on the shelf at Walmart, always wanted a kids toy EV.
Smart car; Superman wanna be,always ready to change into costume driving a phone booth on wheels.
Good day Doug, got a chuckle out of me. You left out the most important;
Prius; Desperately looking for a way to get a, "Charge" out of life.
Be Well

Douglas Stansfield    May 31, 2015 - 10:08AM

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JeffS, thanks for your thoughts. I'm glad you got a laugh out of this. It was really only meant as a humor piece. I think we are losing our sense of humor so I had to try and break it up from the serious day to day news. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.....Sound like plan?

JeffS (not verified)    June 1, 2015 - 5:02PM

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Hi Rob. I know your comment wasn't directed at me, but let me assure you my comment was all in Jest. The fact is, I think the I3 is a pretty cool car. So is the Tesla. The others, and this is just personal opinion, not particularly fond of. When boiled down, it all comes down to one's own personal preference regarding the car(s) they like. As to what others may think, "Who cares". Be Well.

margielf (not verified)    January 14, 2018 - 3:30PM

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There are two types of Tesla drivers. People who bought a Tesla S or X as their first EV are usually in the stereotypical categories already described.

When someone buys a Tesla after already owning a pure EV (Leaf, eGolf etc.) it is saying: I do not want to be dependent on Fossil fuels, but the range on my Leaf is to short to let me travel cross country.

As for Model 3 drivers: ask again in a year.