Cville’s Les Sinclair Shares His EV Experience

Les Sinclair got behind the wheel of our EV for a day and told us about his experience in today’s blog!

Tell Us: How Was It?

I went into this drive of the Nissan Leaf expecting very little.  I presumed it would be a very small car, with a small car feel and an economy car’s accoutrements. Basically, I assumed that it would be like driving an economy car of the past, with little acceleration and not much style.

I was wrong!

The car was very stylish…sporty even…and the interior feel and styling were far above my expectations.  Leather interior, and a dashboard that worked well.  It had “drive-by-radar” (that’s my term), and steering assist, speed control, and so many options that I didn’t expect.

Plus, the pick-up was incredible.  I’ve heard about the acceleration of e-vehicles, but had never experienced it for myself.  Now that I have, I am pleasantly surprised.

What Surprised You?

What surprised me about the Nissan Leaf was the driving experience.  It truly is something you need to do to be able to enjoy it.  To be able to understand it.  I loved driving this e-car. 

The ride was smooth, the acceleration was incredible, and the luxury surpassed my expectations. 

What reactions or conversations did it spark?

The reaction was unexpected.  My wife who dislikes small cars and feels claustrophobic in them also enjoyed the ride.  She felt relaxed and comfortable.  She noticed how little sound there was.  When we needed to have rapid acceleration, there’s very no engine noise…that’s because there’s no engine that needs to rev-up.  Also, folks at work were impressed with the styling.

What is your next climate action?

My next climate action is to do what I can.  My belief is that if we can do a bunch of little things and combine them together, and if all of us are doing a bunch of little actions, it’ll make a difference.  

So find what you can do and do that.  Do more good things and the world will be better.  

My recommendation is to drive an e-vehicle so that you understand what all the talk is about. 

I want to thank Charlottesville Climate Collaborative for letting me have this experience.  Anytime you want me to drive it again, or just talk about the fun I had doing it, just let me know. 

Thanks so much, Les!

CLICK HERE to hear the radio interview with Pete Borches, Vice President of Carter Myers Automotive, and Teri Kent, Director of Programs and Communication for C3, and Les Sinclair, radio personality and Host of Charlottesville Right Now on 95.1 and WINA.