Nine cars, nine epic mini road trips, ten sets of cupboard snacks, zero emissions. Making series one of Mel’s Electric Adventure was inspiring, educational and unnervingly quiet, except of course when Mel was singing.
Often there was only the sound of the wind, even at 70 mph on Ealing’s leafy backstreets. Our quiet EV cockpits cast a spell of easy contemplation broken only by the optional flatulence of the Tesla Model Y. There was plenty of time to ponder: which car did we like best?
The Audi RS e-tron GT Carbon Vorsprung was fastest. Mel was terrified. The MG4 SE Long Range was cheapest, and frankly the only one either of us could imagine owning. The Genesis GV70 Sport was an Italian leather sofa on drugs.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5, with origami crease across its flanks and an interior the size of a small country, was my favourite. It’s not the only one that takes advantage of the opportunity to reinvent the car from the ground up for a new era. The VW iD3 (and 4, and 5) do that too. It’s not the only one to hit you in the back like a number eight when you choose sport mode. The BMW i4 M50 does that too. But it is the only one to put a smile on your face from the moment you step in, without forcing it by making you choose “indicator fart”.
At £51,000 it’s way out of my range, but a person can dream, right?
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Mel’s Electric Adventure
Come on a drive with comedian Mel Giedroyc and Tortoise journalist Giles Whittell in this podcast about life and electric cars.