Driving instructor Chloe has candidly shared her experience of electric vehicle (EV) ownership after just 30 days behind the wheel — including two pretty major downfalls
A driving instructor has laid bare the reality of owning an electric vehicle (EV) just one month on from making the switch.
While TikToker Chloe, who goes by the handle @drivewithchloe, lists many merits to driving the Kia Niro EV, two major pitfalls became painfully apparent to her in no time. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) approved driving instructor from West Yorkshire shared her ‘personal pros and cons’ online – and revealed exactly how much she is saving after ditching her petrol car.
The first thing Chloe noticed was the sound — or rather, lack of it. “So my first one is a pro and a con, and that’s the sound,” she said. “I love how silent it is, it’s really relaxing, you don’t get that sort of dull noise in the background from the engine or any of that.”
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But this peace and quiet comes with a bit of a downside: “People do not look before they cross the street,” Chloe explained. “They rely on their ears, and they step out in front of this thing multiple times a day.”
Chloe found the cost savings, which she expects to go up, to be undeniable, having ‘saved over £100’ in her fuel bill during the first month of EV ownership, even though she was public charging. She added: “When I’m privately charging at home, that’s gonna shoot up even more.”
Even with the premium often associated with public chargers, EV drivers typically spend far less on energy than on those with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that run on petrol or diesel, with home charging slashing costs even further. Chloe was also impressed by the technology in her EV, hailing: “I can preprogram the climate and say what time I want it to be at what temperature for the next day.
“Before I even set foot outside the house it’s cooled down in the car.” However, she also notes: “The downside to this — battery range. As soon as you use that, the range is going down.”
Another downside in her daily routine also became apparent — charging time. Chloe says: “A con is my charge time, because I’m still public charging. I’m waiting for my home installation, so once that arrives it’ll be a great pro, because I can plug it in overnight and go to bed. But at the moment I’m parking up for 20 minutes a night.”
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Public charging, while increasingly accessible, can be a hassle — especially when compared with the convenience of home charging. Depending on the charger, topping up an EV in public can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. Until her home charger is installed, Chloe’s nightly detour is a reminder that using the UK’s public charging infrastructure, while growing, isn’t always as easy as filling up with petrol.
So for Chloe, the biggest downsides were clear straight away — charging logistics and range anxiety, particularly when using the EV’s impressive climate control tech. But despite this, in the caption for her video Chloe adds: “I have no regrets about my car choice, I think some people thought my last video was me complaining, that’s not the case at all! Just spelling out how it is in my eyes for anyone considering going EV… It’s perfect for me but it’s not for everyone and that’s okay!”
So while EVs may not be for everybody, Chloe feels no remorse about her decision. Her warnings about range and charging are just intended to help her followers and viewers make an informed decision on the switchover to electric — one that is the best possible choice for them.
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