How Driving Tesla S Changed My Lifestyle
By: Zuri Han
Tags: Lifestyle, Tesla, Sustainability, Tesla Model S, Electric Car

How Driving Tesla S Changed My Lifestyle

I bought the car in November 2018 when the mainstream media and some of my friends were heavily against Tesla and its technology. Zuri Han Nov 21, 2020·4 min read

@hanzuri My own Tesla S

I decided to drive Tesla because it was my dream car, and I loved the company’s motto — to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. As a gardener and a minimalist, I wanted to live on my values of sustainability. It was a big purchase decision and a considerable investment at that time to own Tesla S. However, I now think that it was the best decision ever. I am also an investor in Tesla and saw how the company grow over the past few years. Not only the stock price rose astoundingly, but I feel that the perception of the company Tesla has changed in public.

Here are five ways to how driving Tesla S changed my lifestyle:

No more driving to the gasoline station

After driving Tesla, I do not go to gasoline stations anymore. Instead, I charge the car at home from an electric port. The electricity costs me about $30 per month, which is significantly less than gasoline for Toyota or Honda. Tesla is my first electric car, and I love that it is time-saving and energy-saving to make trips to the gas station.

Frunk

I remember one day, a middle-aged woman at the grocery store parking lot asked me how I could have a space in front of the car. Frunk is trunk space in the bonnet. I love the extra luggage space in front of the car, and I usually put all of my grocery bags in Frunk after shopping. It is also deep enough to put luggage bags when traveling and easy access to take out the luggage when parked.

Autopilot

It was rare to drive on autopilot even in 2018, where I lived, but now almost all new cars come with this function. Autopilot helps me stay on the lane, safely change the lane in an expressway, and signals me on any cautions with sounds, and I do not have to keep my foot on the accelerator. I still have full control of the driving with some assistance from Tesla. I can’t imagine driving without autopilot because I got so used to the convenience and assistance.

Big LED screen at the center for maps, searching, music, and camera for back-in angle parking + Tesla App

The touch screen at the center of the car shows the Google map, where I am going with the accurate directions. I can also give commands for opening the door, hood, lights, and almost everything Tesla S can do. There are music stations available, and I can type and search the stations that I would like to listen to. Although I can’t use web searches or watch videos while driving, the vehicle is connected to the internet 24/7. Using the Tesla app on my smartphone, I can see the status of the car, charging percentage, and turn on car seat warmers at home before heading out to driving during winter months.

Became an environmentalist by promoting renewable energy

This is the most significant lifestyle change that I have adopted over the years. Once I change to promote sustainable and renewable energy, I cannot go back to my old lifestyle because they do not align with my values. I have become a minimalist, zero-waste advocate, and environmentalist who cares about what I consume and purchase daily. I feel good about how I live as I refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — the 5 Rs of sustainability. Tesla S has helped me to minimize gasoline mileage and air pollution. Electricity is reusable energy compared to gasoline, and electric cars like Tesla would benefit the environment.