The Electric Car Conundrum
As I embarked on my Mallorcan adventure, I had no inkling that my rental car would become a test of endurance – not due to its performance, but because of its electric charging system. The Scottish Government might view me as a ‘good boy’ for opting for an electric vehicle, but my experience was far from smooth.
The car’s dashboard displayed an array of confusing data, and I soon found myself navigating a labyrinth of charging points, apps, and sign-ins. The first hurdle arose when I discovered that the village of San Telmo was a ‘charging desert.’ I had to drive 15 minutes to Port Andratx, only to find a charging point reserved for customers of an upmarket sailing club, with the wrong type of charger to boot.
My journey continued with a series of frustrating encounters at various charging points. At one, the machine displayed ‘Access denied’ after I scanned the QR code, leading me down a rabbit hole of downloading apps and creating accounts. At another, the charging point was simply non-functional. The final straw came when the car refused to start after I had given up on charging, leaving me stranded for half an hour.
The experience was a far cry from the simplicity of filling up at a petrol station. As I returned to Scotland, I discovered that the challenges persisted, with charging points requiring app downloads and complex sign-ins. It wasn’t until the car hire firm intervened on day three that I was able to switch to a petrol car, breathing a sigh of relief as I filled up with ease.
My adventure highlighted the pressing need for a more user-friendly electric car charging infrastructure. Until then, I’m afraid I’ll be sticking to traditional fuel sources. As the saying goes, ‘Try before you buy’ – and I’ve tried. I’m not buying into the electric revolution just yet.
