A FORMER EV owner has explained why she made the switch back to diesel, saying it’s much more relaxing.
Abigayle Andre, who runs motors site SheTalksCars, took to TikTok to explain why owning an electric car became too much of a headache.
Abigayle Andre explained why she switched out her EV for a diesel modelTikTok/@shetalkscars
She said that range anxiety was a major factor in her decisionTikTok/@shetalkscars
After spending a week driving her Hyundai Ioniq 5, she decided to go back to fossil fuel power after discovering that EVs made her suffer range anxiety.
The car whizz described feeling constantly nervous about where she could find a charging point when she was low on battery.
She said: “I clearly need to refuel my car. I’ve got 8% left, 39 miles.
“Why don’t I feel any anxiety about that [with a diesel]?
“I will literally play fuel light bingo sometimes and drive past fuel stations knowing that I need the fuel.
“But with electric, even though it’s got many more miles on it… I have a small panic attack.”
She added that it may be a “psychological” thing, but she definitely felt more nervous in her EV unless there was a fuel shortage for internal combustion models.
And her fears may well be justified, as a new map revealed the worst parts of the UK for EV charging stations.
While the infrastructure is beginning to spread across the country, data from the Department for Transport shows that some areas have no chargers at all.
Indeed, large parts of Somerset, Cumbria and Yorkshire are complete charging blackspots.
Likewise, a study from Vauxhall found that the majority of UK councils have no roadside charges in their area.
As a result, less than half of drivers feel an EV would fit their lifestyle, with many blasting the lack of charging points as a result, according to new research.
Social media commenters were quick to sympathize.
One wrote: “Petrol stations are more plentiful than charging stations, so range anxiety would be more of a concern than fuel complacency.”
Another added: “Fuel is far easier to come by and it’s also quick to fill up.
“With electricity, you’ve got to sit there for 4 hours.”
It comes after an expert mechanic revealed why he feels EVs just aren’t worth it, saying that they don’t last long enough.
Meanwhile, EV drivers were warned over an issue that could see them fork out thousands more than they should on repairs.
This may well be justified as some parts of the UK are complete charging blackspotsshetalkscars