Disappointed, Not Defeated: An Engineer’s Honest Take on Today’s Electric Vehicles

As an engineer, I have always been open to new technology. Progress excites me. Innovation drives society forward. I am not emotionally attached to diesel engines, nor am I interested in fueling the “war” between EV owners and fossil fuel car owners.

But recently, due to circumstances, I was forced to use an electric vehicle. My trustworthy diesel car was at the body repair shop after a collision, and we were given an EV as a rental.

I expected to be impressed.

Instead, I found myself… disappointed.

This Is Not About Sides

Let me be clear: this is not a political statement, nor an anti-EV rant. I am genuinely open to technological evolution. As an engineer, I admire the complexity behind electric drivetrains, battery management systems, and regenerative braking.

But technology must move forward in practical ways.

And that’s where I struggle.

Gadgets Over Practicality?

The first thing that struck me was how loaded the car was with electricity-consuming gadgets.

• Steering wheel warmer
• Seat warmers with multiple settings
• Animated light shows when locking the car
• A massive tablet-style screen for nearly everything

Let me ask a practical question:

Why do we need a steering wheel warmer at -20°C? What is wrong with wearing gloves?

Well… maybe it’s because you cannot properly operate the screen panel while wearing gloves.

Which brings me to another frustration.

The Tablet Maze

Why must I swipe through a digital maze just to switch off the seat warmer?

What happened to conventional switches?

A physical button:

• Requires no software update
• Works with gloves
• Does not distract you while driving
• Consumes no additional standby power

Instead, I had to navigate menus on a screen that resembles a tablet glued to the dashboard.

Is this progress?

Or is it design for aesthetics rather than usability?

Range: Have We Really Moved Forward?

Another question that lingers in my mind:

Why isn’t the range significantly better than 7–8 years ago?

Battery technology has evolved. Energy density has improved. Yet real-world winter range still feels like a compromise.

Why is it more important for a car to perform a “cool light show” when locking it than to extend its range by another 50–100 kilometers?

As an engineer, I would prioritize:

1. Efficiency
2. Range
3. Charging speed
4. Durability

The rest should be secondary.

The Charging Experience

We were required to return the rental car fully charged.

This morning, the battery was at 54%. Since we do not have a home charger, we had to drive to a petrol station offering “fast charging.”

What followed was… educational.

• We had to figure out which connector to use
• We had no app or charging badge
• The only option was scanning a QR code
• It took nearly 5 minutes before charging even began

I joked to my wife:

“We could have filled 60 liters of diesel, bought a hotdog, and paid for everything in the time we’ve spent just getting this started.”

The charger was rated up to 50 kWh.

After 1 hour, 11 minutes and 20 seconds, the battery went from 54% to 97%.

In that time, we:

• Went to the supermarket
• Chatted with neighbors
• Watched cars drive by
• Saw the garbage truck pass… and later pass again

It felt like watching paint dry.

The Cost Surprise

Now, here’s the part that genuinely impressed me.

We were charged for 39.589 kWh.

Total cost: 238 Norwegian kroner.

That is cheap.

We normally spend around 800 kroner per week on diesel just for commuting. You cannot drive a diesel car to work for a week at that price.

From a purely economic standpoint, EVs win. Clearly.

The Real-World Use Case

Most EV owners I’ve spoken to use their car primarily for commuting.

But when they travel longer distances, for example to Bergen (a four-hour drive from here), they often take their diesel car instead.

And that, in my opinion, is where we still stand.

Electric vehicles are excellent as commuter tools. They are economical and sort of quiet.

But as a fully practical, flexible, no-compromise replacement for fossil-fuel cars?

Not yet.

Technology Should Simplify, Not Complicate

As an engineer, my disappointment is not about electric drivetrains.

It is about priorities.

• Simplicity over digital clutter
• Efficiency over animation
• Range over light shows
• Physical usability over touchscreens

Technology should make life easier.

Instead, I felt like I was adapting myself to the car, rather than the car adapting to me.

Standing Still?

The question I keep asking myself is:

Are we progressing, or are we standing still?

Electric mobility is the future. I have no doubt about that.

But perhaps it’s time for the industry to shift focus:

From flashy features
To functional engineering.

Because innovation is not about adding more.
It is about making better.