Driving in an electric car with comedian Charles Nguela: “I save CHF 2,500 a year on fuel”

Things are off to a good start: “Sometimes I feel like a jet pilot when I’m at the wheel,” said Charles Nguela of his fast Škoda Enyaq two years ago. That feeling hasn’t changed: as we leave his home in Dietikon, Zurich headed for the Zurich exhibition grounds, the comedian speeds off like a shot. “I love the power of an electric car,” he enthuses. “For me as a sporty driver, that’s just so cool.”

Our destination is “Auto Zürich” in Oerlikon, the annual motor show, where the AMAG Ambassador is making an appearance. We’re on our way quickly, but safely. Charles Nguela has become a very slick driver after three years of e-experience. The comedian explains how he immediately came to appreciate the many benefits of an electric car. In addition to the quick acceleration, these also include the quiet drive. “This helps me to go over my set in my head before gigs, and it’s also made me calmer behind the wheel.” He says it’s a pleasant feeling: “It somehow relieves my stress.” His mother, who sometimes travels with him, also appreciates this aspect. “She says: We’re finally able to talk undisturbed – you used to have such noisy cars.”

The e-benefits come to light on the journey

Charles says the Škoda Enyaq is the perfect model for him and his needs. “The car looks quite compact from the outside, but is very spacious inside – including a large boot. I always bring a lot of technical equipment with me to my gigs.” What’s more, he appreciates being able to secure this equipment using the practical Velcro fasteners that are included in the car. “I hate it when I hear things rolling around in the boot – but that’s now a thing of the past.” Nguela is also impressed by the head-up display and the sat nav. “I no longer miss turn-offs like I sometimes did in my previous cars,” he says. “I always receive excellent guidance.”

Nevertheless, a short traffic jam on the approach to the Gubrist Tunnel is unavoidable on our way to the exhibition grounds. When traffic comes to a standstill, another advantage of the electric vehicle comes into play. In stop-and-go traffic, energy can be recovered via recuperation. As a technology enthusiast, Nguela says he’s very interested in the whole power management system in his electric car,. “I always calculate how far I can get if I drive as energy-efficiently as possible, for example. These innovations really appealed to me.”

Speaking of electricity: since he didn’t get around to connecting the car to his wallbox the evening before, we head to a charging station en route. The overview map in the Škoda Enyaq’s sat nav takes us to a fast-charging station on the A1, where we charge the car back up to 80 percent really quickly. The 35-year-old handles the procedure with great skill. Laughing, he says: “It’s better to charge too much than too little!”

Critical situation on the way to a gig

That’s because Nguela is once bitten, twice shy. It was an experience from his early days as an electric car driver that truly chilled the comedian to the bone. “It was my first ever longer drive in an electric car,” he explains. “It was winter, and I was driving to a gig in Montreux with my manager.” Before setting off, he had a look at the charging level and thought: that should be enough. As a newbie, however, he wasn’t conscious of an energy-saving driving style, nor did he consider that the car consumes more electricity in winter than average due to the heating. He received the rude awakening at some point en route to Bern. “We saw that the battery charge level was falling dramatically and wondered anxiously: how far is it to Montreux?” 

They drove to the next charging station, charged up for 15 minutes and continued their journey. Soon after, however, the display once again indicated that the battery urgently needed charging. In retrospect, it was clear that they hadn’t found a fast-charging station, and the electrical charge was anything but sufficient. “To make it to the next charging point, we immediately switched off the radio and heating and headed for the nearest plug, shivering,” recalls Nguela. He had learned his lesson. “After that, it never happened to me again!”

Well-prepared thanks to charging network, app and booster

Back in the present, the comedian disconnects the charging cable, and we continue our journey towards the motor show. After years at the wheel of a combustion engine, the matter of charging is the only real change after switching to electromobility, says the multiple Swiss Comedy Award winner. “It takes a bit of planning, but that quickly becomes routine.” The same applies to him: Nguela usually charges at home via the wallbox and uses public charging to top up, depending on the route. “With the Škoda Enyaq’s range of around 450 kilometres, it only requires an electric charge every few days for shorter everyday journeys, and I can also manage longer trips to shows without having to stop.”

There are also more and more charging stations, and faster and faster charging stations, to counter any worst-case scenario, including those in the AMAG fast-charging network, for example. It offers 52 charging points with a maximum output of 360 kW per charging station. These stations are not only open to the public, but also in close proximity to busy transit routes and the motorway.

Charles Nguela uses the AMAG app for long trips. “I enter my destination, and the app then calculates when I should ideally charge the car, based on the route along with all the factors that need to be taken into account, such as distance, elevation and traffic. It also shows me any suitable nearby options.” To be prepared for emergencies (particularly during holidays abroad), the comedy star relies on what is known as a juice booster – a mobile charging station for on the go.

A positive change and a speedy finale

Our journey is drawing to a close, and we will soon reach the Zurich exhibition grounds. So far, switching to an electric car has paid off for him, says Nguela. Financially, too. “You save a fair bit,” he says. “For example, servicing is cheaper because fewer parts need to be maintained. The lack of petrol also makes the savings very noticeable.” For 2023, he calculated that he would have paid CHF 2,500 more if he had continued driving a car with a combustion engine. “I didn’t think there was such a big difference between petrol and electricity.”

Shortly before reaching Oerlikon, we come to a stop at a red light on a dual carriageway. Alongside us is a sports car bursting with horsepower. When the light turns green, Charles Nguela speeds off, leaving the neighbouring car standing. He looks in the rear-view mirror. “Sometimes I see baffled faces,” he says with a grin. “When it matters most, I have the power. That makes me so happy. It puts a smile on my face.”