David Waterworth from an Interview with Krystal Li
The MG ZS EV is the second highest-selling EV in Australia, and it sells well in Europe also. When her husband Francisco decided to convert their 2003 Pajero to electric, Krystal Li decided she needed another car. It has proved to be the perfect fit to her lifestyle.
They chose an MG ZS EV, and shortly after buying it Krystal and Francisco attended the Noosa EV expo. When they went to charge for the return trip all the chargers were taken. So on the way back they stopped for lunch and charged, and then went on to the Gold Cast – so the car’s 200km range was obviously enough for their needs.
Until then, for some activities they still took the petrol car because they worried about the MG handling the range – now they know that it can. They didn’t realize how much time they took for a comfort stop, so they timed it. They found it was time enough to give the car a top-up. They realised that short range is not a problem.
Compared to the Pajero, the MG is quieter, smaller and with much better acceleration. Krystal is not a confident driver and wanted a smaller car for ease of parking. She doesn’t need a big car as she is petite and has no children. The MG has more technology than the Pajero – lane assist, cruise control and a reversing camera.
Like many others before her, Krystal has realized that the only way to understand the great benefits of electric cars is to drive one.
She is concerned about the depreciation on the MG. It is only nine months old and has done 23,000km. With 8 years warranty, she is not concerned about the battery and the drivetrain. And when it does run out of warranty – Francisco may have a play with it!
She delights in showing the MG to her friends and one of them has already bought his own. That friend is driving it everywhere. Like others before him, he has discovered that EV driving is fun. People who have tried the car look at the dash and say it is just like a petrol car, and then they feel the acceleration.
Another friend had a drive – she sat in the car waiting for the engine to make a noise, got confused looking for the handbrake and the gearstick.
Krystal told her to just take her foot off the brake, the car moved, she freaked out. A friend borrowed the car. She said she loved it but found it too much trouble to plug in. She said she would prefer to wait till the battery is almost empty then go to a servo and charge up.
Krystal usually charges at home from a 15 amp plug and doesn’t see the need for a home charger. Francisco has measured the power output to the car when charging. He has found that it draws less power than the hot water system.
Krystal likes to locate and use free chargers using the Plugshare app. I get the impression that it is a bit of a game. For example, there are level 2 chargers at Toombul that are free. There is plenty of solar capacity at home and on her work sheds. Francisco has discovered that if you use less than 5kw at QESH they don’t charge – has anyone else found this?
Krystal doesn’t know much about cars, but while she was initially frighted of driving an EVs, by the second day driving her MG she was fine. Now she thinks people make it too complicated. Going from petrol to electric is like going from an abacus to a calculator. It’s easy. Just push the buttons.
David Waterworth is a researcher and writer, a retired school teacher who continues to provoke thought through his writing. He divides his time between looking after his grandchildren and trying to make sure they have a planet to live on. He is long on Tesla.