Wheels Inbox, June 2023: Premium EVs & discourteous Aussies

Wheels magazine has always had a passionate audience, with a thriving letters section. Here's the latest from our readers.

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6

Price of premium

🖊️ Mark Slater, Richmond, Vic

The era of electric cars is now here, and one thing that is becoming rapidly evident is the diminishing gap regarding EV technology and features between mainstream and premium brands.

In the past, premium brands have been able to claim higher levels of engine and mechanical development, design, and advanced digital features.

But with the advent of EVs and the inherent engineering standardisation in EV motors and battery packs, coupled with the relative ease today of developing modern digital/ electronic aids and features has all greatly diminished the added worth that premium brands once maintained over mainstream brands.

It will become increasingly difficult for luxury brands to keep charging
a hefty price premium for their EVs that are almost indistinguishable from mainstream models in terms of EV and digital technology and what they offer as an ownership experience.

One can readily surmise that Tesla has already perceived this trend hence their recent worldwide downward price adjustments.

6

Mind yourself

🖊️ Andrew Jones, Mindarie, WA

I would like to comment on Dylan Campbell’s ‘Flat Chat’ column (Wheels, March ‘23) of a couple of months ago, regarding making drivers more mindful.

I so agree with his comments! His insightfulness to see that all the (admittedly incredible) new features that new cars come packed with essentially remove a lot of focus and thought processes from our approach to the responsibility- laden privilege of driving.

To my mind, the principle can even be taken to the next level into so many areas of our lives: the less we are required to think, and make good, considered judgements for ourselves, the more incapable, (dare I say stupid?) we’re broadly becoming.

Like all things, good reasoning, care and consideration come through practice. Being pushed out of our comfort zone from time to time is good and beneficial.

6

Rude Aussies

🖊️ John Sharman, email

I read Daniel Gardner's ‘Squeaky Wheel’ column (Wheels, March ’23) with interest. However I believe he was being overly kind to Australian drivers.

I was a military driving instructor and a driver testing officer, and I believe that the differences between British and Australian drivers is much more than just courtesy.

I have driven in the UK, as well as Europe and North America. Particularly in the UK, I would rate the skill levels of average drivers to be much higher than in Australia.

Maybe it is something to do with the narrow roads requiring a higher degree of skill, as well as a higher level of courtesy.

I find Australian drivers to be lazy and impatient as well as discourteous. Lazy in their driving habits, such as lane keeping, late braking, staying within the speed limits etc; impatient in respect of speeding, tailgating, risky overtaking and turning, etc.

I would like to see a road-safety campaign based around the need for patience – we are all using the road and need to arrive safely. It only takes one impatient ill-conceived action to create chaos on the road and we are all impacted.

A few extra seconds in our journey is of very little consequence, but
an accident can take up hours unnecessarily because of the impatience of one driver, and perhaps an unnecessary loss of life.

6

Pursed strings

🖊️ Mark Walland, Mornington, Vic

Dylan Campbell's ‘Flat Chat’ column on the demise of performance cars (Wheels, April ’23) was a sad read indeed.

The purchase of a car has been probably the single greatest category of discretionary spending over the last century. The various EV proponents who tell us that the electric era won’t change that enthusiasm seem to misunderstand some of the magic that drives those purchases.

Add in car body designs that have become increasingly derivative and indistinguishable one from the other; and a stable of EVs – with their silly nostril-free plastic noses, silver plate wheels and bodies that look like props from Tron – that go fast without engaging any of the senses other than vision – and it’s not hard to see discretionary dollars going elsewhere.

When we buy cars because we have to – rather than because we want to – then we’ll buy fewer cars. That has to be bad news for any industry.

6

Lotus Evija

The Wheels question to you

Was the Miami GP the most boring F1 race ever?

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