Get inspired by Marloes
X minutes reading time
‘I chose an electric car because I like the idea of being sustainable in this way‘
Marloes te Boekhorst
Marketing manager
Tesla Model 3
Who are you?
‘I’m Marloes te Boekhorst, I live with my boyfriend and two children. I live in Badhoevedorp. I’ve been driving a leased car through ALD Automotive for seven years, and since the summer of 2020, a fully electric car.’
Your business and your profession?
‘I’m a Marketing Manager at a financial services provider. I don’t drive very many kilometres for my work, mostly commuting and, in normal times, regular visits to suppliers and the other parties we work with.’
With which kind of electric car did you begin driving?
‘A Tesla Model 3. Once I decided to go for a fully electric vehicle, the choice was actually a quick one. And it’s quite an experience to drive a Tesla anyway.’
How much are you driving?
‘About 30,000 kilometres a year.’
Why did you decide to go with an EV?
‘I chose an electric vehicle because I like the idea of being sustainable in this way. My previous lease car was a plug-in hybrid, so I already knew the principle of charging. However, that car was otherwise not very fuel-efficient, and I wanted to see that changed. In addition, in terms of the favourable additional tax rate, this car was of course also interesting to drive as a business lease car.’
Private?
‘I drive the car for both business and private usage. In my private capacity, I’m on the road quite a lot. My children play a lot of sports and are at an age where they still need to be taken everywhere. My daughter does figure skating intensively, mostly at the Jaap Edenbaan in Amsterdam, but in recent years with the various measures around sports, also regularly in Hoorn. Then it’s nice to drive a comfortable car. Hoorn also has a Tesla Supercharger two minutes away from the ice rink, so that’s ideal. We moved from Amsterdam to Badhoevedorp a few years ago, which means we need the car more often anyway.’
How do you like driving an electric vehicle?
‘I’ve had the car for almost 1.5 years now, and I really like it. I did hesitate for a while before I made my final decision because it’s quite a switch – no longer having to or being able to fill up with fuel – but I haven’t regretted it for a moment!’
Charging, where do you do it?
‘Unfortunately, we don’t have a driveway at our house, so we don’t have our own charging station either. However, there are two spots very close by (a two-minute walk and with two charging spots), where there’s always space. I also live very close to a Tesla Supercharger, which is also ideal. If I go to the office, I can also charge my car there. So charging is never an issue!’
Downside?
‘For daily, normal use, there are actually none. However, if you’re going away for a weekend, for example, or just need to travel a little further, it’s sometimes puzzle-work when it comes to charging your vehicle. I myself live in the Amsterdam area, where you have charging stations everywhere. In the places I visit less frequently, it takes a little more advance research. And in winter, especially when it’s quite cold, the range goes down a lot faster. So you always have to factor in charging more often. Unfortunately, charging stations can frequently fail. The other day during an outing, I parked my car in a large parking lot with lots of charging stations. But it turned out that most of the stations didn’t work, and we had to find a restaurant near a charging station later in the evening. Then suddenly your first goal is to find a charging station. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to go anywhere. Let alone going on vacation abroad. I really don’t dare do that yet. For that, I took advantage of the ALD Flex option last summer. For a few weeks a year, you can trade in your car for a non-electric car”.
What do people say about your car?
“Now, of course, a Tesla is no longer a rarity. But in general, people think it’s a beautiful car and are especially impressed with all the technological gadgets. When you first drive a Tesla, it’s also quite a different experience. You just have a big screen where you do and see everything – even the traffic lights and other road users around you. That makes it quite manageable”.
Do you have an anecdote about your electric vehicle or previous cars?
“The other day, my daughter had a sports game. Unfortunately, because of the current measures, the parents were not allowed in to watch. So I watched from the large screen on my Tesla. This was a lot better than holding an iPad. I also had the sound in stereo in the car. This made the experience a lot more enjoyable”.
Marloes continues: “Another fun story is that once last winter with the freezing temperatures, it was impossible to charge. I just could not get the plug in. When I called the breakdown service, they said that this was more common with electric cars. The contact point where you plug in the charger was frozen. They advised me to use a hair dryer to blow hot air into the contact point for several minutes. I was with my father at the time. He did not have a hair dryer of his own. He then asked his neighbours, who looked somewhat surprised at this request. But he managed to borrow one. And, lo and behold, it worked! After 10 minutes, the plug did eventually fit back in. Passers by were somewhat bemused by this. But then we explained what we were doing.
Dreams?
“In terms of cars, I don’t have any specific dreams. Although… a sleek convertible in summer months could be nice 😉 But no, I’m quite happy to drive a Tesla, and I can’t imagine going back to a completely different type of car right now”.
Finally
Are you inspired by Marloes’ story but still have doubts about whether you want to get into an electric car? ALD Automotive makes your choice a lot easier with ALD eFlex. To avoid having to choose right away, ALD eFlex is offering a trial period of at least one month (or longer, of course) at the normal lease rate. Only then will you really discover how much electric driving suits you in practice. Would you like to know more? Then check out eFlex’s webpage.
