The Road Less Driven

A Veteran Driver’s Electric Leap

From Hot Wheels to Real Wheels

In all actuality, my first “cars” were probably Hot Wheels, scattered across my childhood floor, each one sparking a small but wild imagination. Then came the next leap: a battery-powered remote car that could zip around for a thrilling ten minutes before its battery gave out. Steering? Left-only, in reverse or forward if you were lucky. Remember those days? Back then, even dreaming of a real, full-sized electric car wasn’t science fiction; it was beyond the realm of fantasy.

My first actual car, though, was a 280Z—a Datsun back then, turbocharged and unapologetically sleek. I loved that car fiercely, only to part with it too soon, swapping it out for a 300ZX. That one? Let's just say the love didn’t translate, but that’s a different story.

Somewhere along the way, my heart found its way to another, unrequited love—the Ferrari 308 GTS. I never did own that beauty, but in the end, I was oddly grateful. The dream, as it turned out, felt just right as a dream, filling its space in my mind with intrigue and appreciation rather than ownership.

As my journey continued, I found myself loyal to Nissan, settling in with a Maxima for a solid period. Then, somewhere in the mid-90s, I was pulled into the world of SUVs. The Discovery by Land Rover caught my eye and held my loyalty through countless miles and model evolutions. That car became a true companion, from its early, humble need for spare power steering fluid in the trunk to my final LR4, which I sold with over 100,000 miles on it (but not without pouring plenty of service dollars along the way!).

When it came time to look for something new, I considered the Defender—a fitting successor to my beloved LR4—or perhaps something altogether different. Around that same time, I found myself captivated by the Apple TV+ show Long Way Up (2020), where Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman trekked 13,000 miles from Argentina to Los Angeles on prototype LiveWire™ electric Harley-Davidsons. While I’d never owned a motorcycle, the endurance of those electric bikes intrigued me. But what truly caught my eye were their support vehicles: two Rivian all-electric prototype pickup trucks.

I wasn’t in the market for a truck, yet Rivian had planted a seed. When they introduced the R1S alongside the R1T, something clicked. Here was an electric vehicle (EV) I could imagine myself falling for. But I didn’t place an order right away; the world of EVs was still largely foreign to me. Instead, I watched, listened, and learned. I saw the Tesla Model X debut before it even shipped. I heard the stories of Tesla owners raving about their cars, answered my share of questions about weather effects on EVs (both hot and cold!), and started to dabble in the ecosystem myself—firing up charging apps, getting a feel for what EV infrastructure looked like in real life.

A New Kind of Ride

I ordered a Rivian R1S sight unseen—never even sat in one, let alone driven it. Call me a rebel, but there was something deeply appealing about sidestepping the dealership gauntlet of paperwork, upsells, and endless negotiations. And then, I waited. My LR4 patiently stayed by my side while the countdown ticked on. Exactly 591 days later (yes, I checked), I finally had my hands on the R1S.

Before that, though, I managed to catch a test "ride" in NYC. It was a thrill to pepper the driver with questions, meet part of the Rivian team, and finally get a closer look. But sitting behind the wheel? That didn’t happen until just a few months before delivery. When I finally did, I wasn’t after the thrill of its 800-plus horsepower—I mean, that horsepower can blow past even the nostalgic pull of my old turbo Z, no question. Instead, I was laser-focused on understanding the EV driving dynamics, particularly that unique "gas" pedal and the regenerative braking system.

You see, in an EV, that pedal is more of a speed control than a power throttle. Lift your foot, and you’re already slowing down, as power regenerates back to the battery. People say it’s “like a golf cart,” but that comparison barely scratches the surface. The EV pedal feels intuitive and immediate in a way that traditional cars can’t match. After that short test drive, I was all in. This was, hands down, the most seamless, thrilling driving experience I’d ever had.

When I finally took delivery at the beginning of 2024, I felt ready—but little did I know there was a world of learning ahead. Shortly after delivery, I dove in headfirst with a nearly two-week road trip, determined to see just how deep the EV waters were. The trip became an intense introduction to charging outside my own garage. Signing up for a handful of charging services turned out to be a lifesaver—making charging on the road relatively quick and simple. Range anxiety? Real for any new EV owner, myself included. It wasn’t so much fear of running out of “gas” as it was being overly conservative with battery levels.

The worst-case scenario? Richmond, Virginia, where every fast charger within range seemed mysteriously out of order. I ended up in a queue, waiting 45 minutes for the sole working charger. Not ideal, but as far as worst cases go, it was manageable. Landing at a hotel with overnight chargers was a rare win—I could charge up without watching the clock, but that happened only once. Nine months in, I can say range anxiety is history. I've come to know the car’s limits, learned to trust its navigation and planning, and feel comfortable with the whole EV routine. Over-the-air updates have kept the car feeling fresh, too, with six upgrades improving everything from functionality to range.

A few things I’ve learned:

Having a home charger changes the game. I invested in a Tesla Wall Connector (the second-generation model), installed it well ahead of the Rivian’s arrival. And no, I haven’t noticed a spike in my electric bill—plus, anyone who claims gas is cheaper likely hasn’t run the numbers on EV ownership. I typically charge to 70% at home, opting for what I need instead of the usual recommendation of 80%. Some debate surrounds the impact of charging to 100% on battery health, but frankly, I rarely need the full range. When planning longer trips, I can simply open the app and set it to charge to 100%, a feature I’ve only used about six times.

Here’s a funny reality check: How often is your ICE car parked at home with a full tank of gas? EVs change that relationship entirely. My R1S is often “topped up” in the garage, ready to go with ease. Driving an ICE vehicle now feels like a clunky throwback—you end up braking harder than necessary, and the acceleration feels like riding a lumbering dinosaur shifting through its parade of gears.

The Road Ahead

Today, the EV market still doesn’t make practical sense for everyone. Overnight charging access is essential, and specific driving styles—rideshare drivers, delivery professionals, or anyone who spends long hours on the road—pose challenges for EV adoption. Cost remains another significant hurdle, as EVs primarily compete at the higher end, effectively pricing out much of the market. Yet, all of this will shift in time, driven by two powerful forces pushing the industry forward.

1. A Shift from Traditional Manufacturing to a Technology Sector

While some legacy automakers have entered the EV market, many remain tentative, with some even retreating from bold electrification goals. This hesitation often stems from more than consumer skepticism. Legacy car manufacturing cultures, deeply rooted in complex machinery and intricate design, contrast with the streamlined, software-first approach of EV startups. “How you do one thing is how you do everything,” as I’ve written in another Seed Scapes post, and it applies here perfectly.

Consider a modern ICE (internal combustion engine) car, where the engine bay is a complex ecosystem of components, often unrecognizable to even seasoned drivers. Every efficiency feature, like Eco Start, represents another layer of engineering complexity, another part, another potential point of failure. Step inside the car, and while large displays replace some controls, traditional buttons still clutter the console, often making even simple tasks a guessing game—think of fumbling for a button in a rental car. ICE culture builds up complexity; EV culture is about cutting it down.

EV manufacturers, especially startups, operate more like tech companies than traditional automakers, focusing on efficiency, minimalism, and upgradability. Their streamlined production approaches drive down costs and focus on simplicity and performance, both of which will, over time, make EVs far more cost-effective than ICE vehicles.

2. Technology’s Relentless Advancement: EVs as a Tech-Driven Market

If EVs feel expensive now, remember that the technology powering them is still in its infancy. Lithium-ion battery technology has already seen rapid price drops: in 1991, it cost $7,500 per kilowatt-hour; by 2018, that price had fallen to $181—a 97% reduction​. With each doubling of production capacity, battery costs drop further, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down.

To understand this transformation, consider the evolution of televisions. The Sony PVM-4300, a 45-inch tube TV from the 1980s, sold for a staggering $40,000. Today, a 45-inch HD TV costs around $400—a hundredfold price decrease. Over those decades, TV technology went through vast changes under the surface. The display improved, but the “guts” of the TV underwent even more profound shifts, becoming smaller, simpler, and cheaper to produce.

Likewise, EVs represent a technology sector more than a traditional car market. What’s “under the hood” of an EV will continue to evolve, as internal components become smaller, lighter, and more efficient, while prices drop exponentially. Future advancements in battery chemistry, energy density, and manufacturing will soon address today’s major complaints about EVs—cost, range, and safety.

In time, the convergence of tech-driven EV production and relentless battery innovation will make electric vehicles accessible to the majority, turning them from niche products into the standard. How fast that happens will depend on how quickly these forces continue to reshape the EV landscape, but if past technology sectors offer any lesson, it’s that transformation is inevitable.