Aline repeated this phrase “the good old days” many times as we enjoyed a coffee together in Brisbane, Queensland. I was intrigued by what she meant by “the good old days” and had to know more. Aline bought her Tesla Model X in 2017, and back then, she says, they felt like movie stars. It was the first Model X and probably the first Tesla in the area in which she lived — the Redlands — to the east of the city.
She would drive her sons to school and be met with people who wanted to know about the car. “In the olden days,” she reflects, “we had the only Tesla in the school. Now there are more and more, especially 3’s.” She said she felt like she was arriving in a spaceship such was the level of attention. Parents, teachers, and school students asked lots of questions. “The school children loved the look. They would hop in and draw on the screen.
In a followup phone call, I got to talk to Brad. I actually interrupted him helping his son with physics homework. I suspect they both appreciated that. It was Brad’s dream to own an EV. He has always hated the smell of petrol. Aline and Brad have passed their older Volkswagens down to their teenage sons, and sometimes the parents have to drive them. Brad tells me: “After driving pure electric, if I go back to petrol, I feel like I am back on a tractor. The combustion engine is so clunky and noisy. There are so many things you have to do that are unnecessary.”
As for the Volkswagens: “They are annoying because of the servicing. I look at the quote and can’t believe it. Things break. If the radiator has a leak on my son’s Polo, the car can’t run.”