e-mobility

Angie Lüscher and Nando Frei were surprised by the power of an electric car

How does an electric vehicle stack up as an everyday car? How does it work with charging, and what are the driving dynamics like? Angie Lüscher and Nando Frei from the canton of Aargau put it all to the test – and experienced some surprising things.

Clyde – the AMAG electric car subscription

They made the switch! Angie Lüscher and Nando Frei from Baden (Aargau) were chosen as e-testers by AMAG and Clyde – an electric car subscription provider and subsidiary of AMAG – and had the pleasure of driving a VW ID.3 for two months. ‘It was really great,’ says Frei. ‘We were delighted to have the opportunity to drive an electric car for a longer period of time.’

The pair had long been interested in what it would be like to get behind the wheel of an electric car, especially considering their current ICEV is on its last legs. ‘We’ve recently been asking ourselves more and more what it would be like to switch to an electric car, and if it would be suitable for our day-to-day lives.’ What’s more, Frei is a tech enthusiast. ‘I’m fascinated by the power that electric cars have. And everyone’s raving about the torque.’

A ‘strange’ moment on their first drive in an electric car

Together, they chose to test out the ID.3 from Clyde’s wide range of electric cars. Depending on the model, the compact vehicle from VW has up to 326 hp and is most similar to their current car in terms of size. ‘A very nice model that we both really like in terms of colour,’ says Frei.

In early July, the Head of Marketing of the AMAG subscription provider Clyde handed over their temporary vehicle at AMAG Wettingen. A special moment for the couple, which they were both very much looking forward to. ‘It was a very friendly experience,’ says Frei. ‘But we only had the basic functions explained to us, because I’m one of those people who likes to learn and find out everything for themselves.’

Nando and Angie were allowed to put this VW ID.3 through its paces for two months.

He and his girlfriend Angie had plenty of time to do this in the weeks that followed. They started with the trip home from the garage – their ‘maiden voyage’ in an electric car, so to speak. ‘It felt strange for a brief moment,’ says Frei. It took some getting used to because he had never sat in an e-car before, and it felt strange not having the gear lever in the centre console. ‘I didn’t know where to put my hand, so I just held a PET bottle in my right hand,’ he says with a laugh. ‘That helped. But in the end, it didn’t take long for me to got used to the automatic system.’

Fascinated by the benefits of the electric car

However, they were impressed from the very beginning by the specific differences between electric cars and his previous car, as Nando also says in the video above. Recuperation, which can be used to recover energy while braking, is particularly fascinating. ‘It’s almost like someone is topping up the fuel when I’m braking – it’s truly brilliant.’ They also liked the one-pedal driving feature in urban traffic, i.e. driving with just the accelerator pedal and automatic braking. As dog owners, they also used what is known as ‘dog mode’ quite a few times – a cooling system for when the car is stationary that allowed them to leave their mixed-breed dog Picci in the car briefly while they went shopping.

Fabian Huber, Clyde Head of Marketing, (right) hands Nando and Angie the keys to their new electric car.

And of course, technology enthusiast Frei was also able to experience for himself just how true all the statements about the car’s acceleration were. ‘The power of an electric car is truly impressive,’ he says in admiration. ‘It’s just a completely different, dynamic driving experience.’ However, he had to learn the hard way to start off with. ‘There’s a speed camera at a junction in Baden. I was caught speeding there several times – and just from getting the car moving again! I had to get used to the fact that it takes off so quickly.’ It took him a moment to get the timing, the feel for it, under control.

A critical attitude towards charging

Minor teething problems, after which the electric car quickly established itself in the daily lives of Lüscher and Frei. And although both of them drove the car, Frei was at the wheel the majority of the time. This was because he used it to get to work. The Aargau local works as a vet nurse at the animal hospital in Aarau and immediately caught the attention of his colleagues thanks to his new car. ‘They asked a lot of questions and wanted to know how it drives. But most of them were interested in what it was like to charge the car.’

Frei admits that he himself had previously been critical of the topic. ‘I had reservations about the range in particular. I was worried that my commute of over 70 kilometres a day would drain the battery in next to no time. I also thought that I’d be restricted in terms of charging, since you can’t charge everywhere.’

Angi and Nando are beaming with joy at the handover of the ID.3

Reservations refuted

However, the two-month test with the Clyde electric car proved him wrong. In fact, he always used less range than he had thought he would. And charging was never an issue either. ‘Charging the car has never restricted us or caused us to be late.’ Over time, they developed an idea of where they could find charging stations. ‘We also charged the car while shopping or at motorway service areas when we were on longer trips, such as to the Maiensäss mountain huts in Graubünden.’ Another practical plus point was that the vet nurse was able to charge in the underground car park at work.

Nevertheless, there have been minor annoyances from time to time. For example, when a charging station advertised as a fast-charging station only charged with 20 kWh. On one occasion, he delayed charging the battery a little too long. ‘When the battery dropped to 10 percent charged, I started to get nervous,’ admits Frei. ‘For me, that’s the only difference to filling up with petrol – and a point where you have to rethink things a bit. In a car with an internal combustion engine, you can usually make it the few kilometres to the nearest petrol station even on a tank that’s pretty much empty. I didn’t want to take the same risk with a low battery. That’s why, apart from the one time, I always preferred to head to the next charging station a bit early.’

All in all, after two months of testing an e-car, they are ready to make the switch, says Frei. However, it won’t be as simple as just holding on to the car: the couple have already returned their VW ID.3 to Clyde. ‘We were a little sad when we handed back our electric car,’ he says. ‘We’ve really gotten used to it!’ The thing is, the couple still want to drive their own car until it finally gives up the ghost. Frei adds: ‘But we now know that with Clyde, we can easily make the switch at any time. We’re ready!’