My Six Months in an Electric Car

On October 20, 2012, I became the proud owner of a silver 2013 Ford Focus EV. In case you don’t recognize the name, that’s an all electric car – no gas tank, no oil, no internal combustion engine. Before bringing it home I had a level 2 240 volt charger installed at my house. Since that day, I’ve been to a gas station once, while driving my wife’s car.

So why did I make the leap to electric and how have the first 6 months been?

First, The Why?

Of course, I try to be as green as I can. We are committed to recycling in the office, and we recently had 10 trees planted in a national forest. Driving an electric car, especially here in the Northwest where the bulk of our electricity comes from hydro, certainly supports my commitment to preserve a clean planet for my son.

But there are lots of ways to help support a clean environment. The most exciting thing for me about an electric car is that it’s new and fun. I love hitting the gas (accelerator) and shooting ahead with the single speed transmission. I love pulling out of a parking space without making a sound. I love squeezing every last mile I can out of that battery and then trying to do better.

The bottom line is that I love new gadgets and I love to win. My Focus combines those two passions. It is a very new gadget (I haven’t seen another one on the road) and it lets me compete with myself and with other drivers on Ford’s social network to drive more efficiently.

I preordered my car almost a year before it was delivered and I haven’t regretted it for a minute.

So How Has It Been?

In a word, fun! My round-trip commute to work is 16 miles so I could drive as aggressively as I want. Despite this, while I love the pep and responsiveness of the car, I find myself always trying to cover the same mileage with less electricity than the last time.

For a while I was afraid that I’d get home and forget to plug it in, but that hasn’t happened yet. Even if it did, the car gets about 75 miles on a full charge so I could easily get back to work the next morning, where they have 4 level 2 chargers in the garage. I’m covered.

As an added (and totally unexpected) benefit, I find myself driving safer. I accelerate and brake more gradually to save electricity, and as a result I am much less likely to be rear-ended or have to suddenly slam on my brakes. In my line of work, I am all too aware of the dangers of the road, and while I always try to drive defensively, I have no doubt that going electric has made me a better driver.

Certainly this car is not for everyone. Even a round trip to Federal Way can be scary with the limited range, and there’s not a ton of storage space. But if you need a city car, enjoy driving and gadgets and like to be on the cutting edge, this car might be just what you’re looking for. It certainly works for me.

Matthew D. Dubin

Matt Dubin has spent more than 20 years honing his skills as one of the top personal injury lawyers in the State of Washington. In his career, Matt has focused on protecting consumers from dangerous household products, medical mistakes, roadway accidents, and many other causes of injury. Matt has recovered nearly $20 million on behalf of his clients.

Education

• University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington – J.D.
• Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut – B.A.

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