To think people who drive electric cars give off a bit of a smug glow?

[MyNavyDreamer]

I’m all for greener choices but there’s something about the way some EV drivers talk about it, like they’ve reached moral enlightenment while the rest of us are choking the planet one traffic jam at a time.

AIBU to think it’s less about the car and more about the vibe?

I love ours but I don’t really talk about it unless someone is specifically asking. It has saved us so much money though, plus my husband gets paid standard business mileage for using it even though we pay a fraction of that for home charging. One day of site visits pays for all our leisure usage for like two months. It’s so lovely to drive too.

We also have a much larger petrol car which we use for different things (currently on a European driving holiday with it) so not an EV purist by any means!

I love my EV and I'm smug about the money it saves me on a weekly basis.
I like the tech stuff and the fact that it updates itself- just like your phone or work computer.

I'd say EV's are fantastic for basic everyday driving.

However, I keep my old air polluting diesel car for any journey over 250miles.

From an environmental point of view it's just as bad, but in a different way!
We really need to consume less.

I’m sure they go through tyres a bit quicker than equivalent ICE vehicles. However, brake pads last longer, they don’t need oil changes, there’s no clutch to wear out, they don’t need consumables such as air filters, oil filters, fan belts, spark plugs etc.

Mine too. I coveted it for ages. Had to wait 9 months for it. It also has a sport mode that literally throws you back in your seat. It’s amazing!
Another strange thing I’ve found since having the EV is that I feel much calmer driving it, I don’t get any sort of road angst. It weirdly chills me sitting in it. Maybe because it’s so quiet.
it also plays a little tune when I get out and says ‘goodbye’ on the dash.
i mean. What’s not to love?! ❤️
edits to add quoted wrong post sorry!

I don't know, but that ding ding reversing sound is so irritating.

I love my electric car. For a million reasons, none of which are related to environmental factors. If I give off a smug glow, then that's just a bonus.

🤣

I feel smug when I ride my bicycle into work and everyone is moaning about congestion, speed limits or fuel prices.

There’s a real air pollution issue in our small city and I drive around town a lot seeing clients. I felt pretty guilty doing that in my diesel car. I love that I now have an electric. I would cycle but it’s really hilly where I live hence the air pollution problem as the city’s in a dip.

The people I know who talk about them are just excited and learning about them the way you would be when you change cars, could that be it? Yes they talk about how they save money etc but it’s more of a can’t believe what we’re saving!

Every word of this.

OP reads a a guilty conscience. That's on them for their choices. I am happy with ours.

I love mine. I don’t think I’m smug about it other than the fact that currently it costs almost nothing to run (being powered by the solar on my roof).

I am smug about how much quicker I can get around town on my bike though and that most definitely gets environmental credentials while the EV is good in terms of (less) local pollution, I’m not sure it’s that great environmentally overall

100% this - it’s so calming to drive. I think because it’s quiet but I also know if I needed to it’d outpace pretty much most stuff in the road unless you’re in a Lamborghini. For my fragile ego that’s quite nice :-)

Edit, it lost the quote but this was in reply to @KaleQueen

I completely get this!
I've always had manual ICE cars and never really gone far. I now have a small EV and go everywhere. I don't sit and religiously check routes anymore, I'm a much more confident, relaxed driver in it.
The ability to hit the pedal and scoot out of the way at warp speed also saved me a few months back when a lorry in the outside lane didn't look and began to pull in on me. If i'd been in a petrol car I'm fairly sure I couldn't have avoided a collision, but being in the EV I was able to move quickly and it just missed me.

I'm not smug, environmental reasons didn't even factor with me. It was a cheap lease at the time and worked for what I needed. I would love to buy it at the end of the lease tbh.

I also find it calming to drive. We went from a really old diesel to a 2021 EV - god I love it. I even enjoy errands now.

I'd be concerned about the cost of replacing the battery. I suppose, if you were very disciplined and put aside £10 per month, you'd be OK but how many people think to do that?

I have two electric cars and solar panels. I did it because I save a fortune, not for the environment

I have a lifetime warranty on my battery so I’m not concerned

Do you mean the South Park scenes with the smug closed eyes? Being part of the solution, not part of the problem?

I love my electric car but the only thing I’m smug about is the cost per mile to drive it.

I have an EV and i love it. I particularly love the colour! I love that it is new and makes parking easy with the tech, and I love that I never have to stop in a petrol station again. I don't think I'm smug, in fact I don't think i ever talk about my car. I'm not even sure I mentioned it to people when I got it. I can't think of anything more boring than people talking about cars.

You need to watch the episode of the Simpsons with Ed Begley Jr.

He drives a go kart powered by his own sense of self satisfaction.

I bloody love my EV. It’s saved me an absolute fortune in fuel costs. DH loves it too. It’s one of the nicest cars I have ever driven and is so comfortable. Ours goes from Yorkshire, where we live, to DS2’s in Norfolk with no bother. We charge it at the Tesla chargers (it’s not a Tesla) to get us home.

I don’t think I’m smug about it, I don’t mention it unless Im asked .

More than half the cars on the road are electric now. They are just normal.

I love my EV mainly because it is a very small, nippy automatic car, so it’s very easy to drive and park in London. The EV part is neither here nor there for me.
Our other car has a petrol engine.
So no, not a smug EV driver. The ones I know who are (were) smug are Tesla owners. Tbf they have been much less smug recently.