I really like Japanese cars. There are Japanese brands that are durable, safe and have very good parts and service support. Toyota and Lexus are my favourite brands. But on the other hand, I was looking for value for money and I knew that Tesla was unbeatable in that regard. My beloved wife and eldest daughter loved the Tesla, while I, as a gourmet car guy, preferred the Lexus.

My wife suggested that I test drive both the Lexus and the Tesla. I tested the Lexus ES350h first and fell in love with the car. Everything was just as I wanted, I never had to change my old habits and because it was a hybrid, the fuel consumption was very low. Most importantly, it was not an SUV, which for me is a great opportunity that sedans are still being produced.

Then we tried the Tesla Model Y. I felt I had to change all my habits. I had to get used to knowing when to charge it, where to charge it on the way, that I couldn’t just park it anywhere because it was a bit big, that it didn’t even have a physical key and a simple start button, and I had to get used to those innovations. On the other hand, I was convinced that it made more sense to buy an SUV for my little daughter’s pram and lots of other stuff, and I respected my wife’s choice.

I’m not very good at communicating because I’m hearing impaired. However, the Tesla sales people were very understanding and I was able to complete most of the process virtually via the Tesla app and email. In fact, I can say that the most difficult part for me was registering the car and getting a licence plate. I was able to do that with a little bit of effort.

After receiving the number plate, I contacted Tesla and was delighted when they told me I could pick it up now, even though the scheduled delivery date was the next day. They installed the number plate, gave me a briefing and helped me set up the phone. I was surprised to see that the battery was 79% full. None of the cars I’ve bought so far would have got that far, I could only go 3km at the most. So after a short test drive and making sure there were no problems, I wanted to leave them a tip, but they refused.

I am still a fan of internal combustion vehicles, but I really congratulate Tesla on the sales experience. I have to say that I also think they have succeeded in terms of accessibility. I don’t like to give out referral links, but if you’re interested in a test drive, I can forward it to you privately.