J'AIME MARCH 2019

M OTO R S
Life in the fast lane
J’AIME’S MOTORING EXPERT AND RESIDENT RACING DRIVER MARTIN PLOWMAN
DRIVES A TESLA MODEL S COURTESY OF TESLA MOTORS IN DIGBETH TO SEE IF HE
CAN BE SWAYED INTO BECOMING AN ELECTRIC CAR CONVERT
As a petrol head, going electric is a bit like being a
steak lover trying to go vegetarian. It just doesn’t
sound very appealing! But electric cars are slowly
but surely becoming mainstream, and their eventual
takeover is inevitable. Elon Musk, the eccentric
American entrepreneur and visionary has been a
leading pioneer of the electric car revolution, as the
owner and co-founder of Tesla Motors.
What's it like to drive?
The whole experience of starting the car is a little
surreal at first. You put your foot on the brake, pull
down on the right lever to select Drive and... nothing
happens. There's no noise, no rev of the engine
as it roars into life. Then as you gently press the
accelerator the car starts to creep forward smoothly.
Your brain can't connect the movement of the car
with the lack of noise, but you find yourself start
to become more aware of your surroundings and
external sounds that usually get drowned out by the
engine. I found it quite refreshing.
I took the car for a spin around the busy streets near
Birmingham’s Bullring. It was the perfect place to
test the car in stop-start traffic and see first hand the
amazing autopilot technology that is on tap with all
Tesla models. It has 12 Ultrasonic sensors capable of
detecting roads, other cars and potential hazards as
well as a 360-degree camera, all of which is claimed
is ready for fully autonomous driving, as soon as the
software and legislation catch up to the available
technology. I engaged the assisted autopilot feature in
the heavy traffic and, although I was hesitant to trust
it at first, it worked remarkably well. The car kept in
its lane, kept a safe distance to the vehicle in front,
slowed down when needed and even recognised
a dangerous corner thanks to Tesla's self-learning
capabilities. Theoretically, you could take your hands
off the wheel if you wanted to and let the car do its
thing (disclaimer: It is strongly recommended to keep
your hands on the wheel at all times to override the
car as it is not yet fully autonomous!).
The car has a very firm but smooth ride. Its rigid
chassis gives direct feedback. It has a tremendous
amount of grip mainly thanks to its very low centre
of gravity, and it's All-Wheel-Drive drivetrain. All of
the battery packs are located on the floor of the car
which, combined with high-performance tyres and
state-of-the-art traction control, means that it is very
hard to wheelspin or lose control.
The Tesla is a car that feels great just cruising around
on your daily commute, but I, of course, wanted to
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