Tesla Made Me an EV Convert

Located just south of Denver in Lone Tree, Park Meadows Mall is a tribute to Colorado's beauty, with architecture giving the feel of a mountain lodge. Their website boasts that Park Meadows is Colorado's largest mall. We live north of Denver, so the drive down there is about 40 minutes with decent traffic. Any trip down there is a full-day adventure.

I'd promised my then-wife a trip to IKEA, but she indulged me in a trip to Park Meadows Mall nearby. Beyond the usual shopping and dining fare we enjoy is the reason I wanted to visit the mall that particular day. On the first floor is a Tesla showroom. I'd become a true believer, you could say, in the potential of electric vehicles in general and Tesla specifically over the past year or so. Unsolicited, I believe that Tesla vehicles are some of the best (if not the best) engineered vehicles available. I love the storage space available in the S, X, and 3 models. The interior is just amazing, with everything controlled through the central touchscreen. My kids (and I, honestly) got a kick out of Fart Mode, where with a few touches you can set any of the seats to emit any number of flatulent noises. My wife enjoyed the comfort of the seats and the ample legroom and heated seats.

I made small talk with a staff member, chatting about Tesla and the potential of electric and solar power, and noting that Jeremy Clarkson of Amazon's The Grand Tour had test driven the Model X and enjoyed it. When the opportunity for me to test drive a Tesla came up, I demurred. I had no intention of buying one, so I didn't want to waste anyone's time. My wife talked me into it, and we all walked out to the parking garage where a couple of each model were plugged in. We had chosen the Model X, since it had the room we needed to fit the four of us and another staff member in. And I have to say, we all fit very comfortably. And I love the wing passenger doors.

The drive itself was, to put it plainly, life altering. I was completely awed by the ride quality, the acceleration, and the sheer reaction of the X to my slightest movement. We got onto the highway, where we engaged autopilot. I never really trusted the idea of giving up control to the car, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ease in which it drove. I was able to see my surroundings on the screen, with avatars showing the location of the cars around me. I've never driven anything that made me feel so safe, for myself or my passengers. Everything, it seemed, was adjustable to my driving style, ride quality desires, and sense of comfort.

When electric vehicles started coming into their own, I believed that old-school internal combustion engines were immortal. I never believed that car manufacturers would ever embrace the future. This drive made me a complete believer in the viability and longevity of electric vehicles. With the expansion of Ford into the electric vehicle field, and increasing competition with Tesla, it’s turning into another “space race” to create the best and most efficient vehicles available. And take it from a combustion-to-electric convert, it’s going to be fantastic.

There's an old saying that goes something like "if you turn your car on and it doesn't do the same for you, you have the wrong car." As we walked back into the mall, my son and I were beaming. My wife even enjoyed it. My daughter thought it was cool. Walking out to our Ford Focus at the end of our trip, it was bittersweet. I didn't want to drive a Tesla Model X to begin with, because I already liked it. I knew that if I drove one, I would love it. And I did.