One of our team, Phil Arnold, a Regional Development Manager who covers around 25,000 miles each year for business, decided to replace his Mercedes C350e (hybrid) with a Tesla Model 3 ahead of the government’s new 0% business in kind benefit which landed in April 2020. We caught up with him to find out how he’s found the switch from a hybrid mainly using fossil fuel, to a fully electric car.
After much research, Phil decided to switch to an electric car because advancements in the technologies used in the vehicles provided the reassurance that the car could cover longer distances, that charging times had become shorter and that the UK had the right amount of infrastructure to support ULEVs.
For his fleet car, Phil chose a Tesla Model 3 dual motor long range, a fully electric car that’s easy to recharge at both public stations and the Tesla charging network while en route to a destination.
What Car gave the Tesla Model 3 five stars in a recent review and it has also achieved good distances between charges at up to 348 miles, according to European government tests.
To test the efficiency of the new Tesla, Phil took his new motor on a 750 mile and four day journey from Bristol to Newcastle, which included stop-offs in Belfast and Liverpool, before he headed back to Newcastle. Ahead of his trip, Phil planned the journey using the Tesla app to identify where the chargers on his route would be. The Tesla network currently comprises 80 UK stations that either are open or due to open in the very near future.
Over the course of the 750 mile trip, Phil charged the car just three times, with each charge taking around 30 minutes. Time that Phil then put to good and efficient use by using it to catch up on emails rather than spending his evening doing it, as had done when driving the Mercedes. At £12 per charge, the cost of three 30 minute charges totalled £30 which Phil also paid for via the Tesla App. As this was mileage he was charging to the business, Phil saved his company over £200 [amount].
Last year, Phil covered 25000 business miles, which cost Tusker £2625 – if he covers the same distance this year, then the business will save £1625 in fuel costs. If you then multiply this by the number of employees, the company has out on the road, the savings are significant.
Says Phil: “Some people might be surprised to see the distance that you can travel in an electric car. Many motorists discount electric cars as they worry about them running out of power and getting stranded without a way to charge their vehicle. However, the increased levels of infrastructure and the accuracy of the Tesla app took the angst out of the journey. Ultimately more needs to be done when it comes to educating people about the benefits and feasibility of electric cars.”
If you’re interested in going electric, we have a wide range of helpful articles which can help guide you on making the right choice for you and your life style. Alternatively, log in or create your account with us to browse our growing range of electric and hybrid cars.