I obtained an electric vehicle about a month ago.  It's a KIA EV9, which is a 3-row "full size" SUV.  It's on the smaller end for SUVs, but it does really have three rows of seats that can fit several full size adults.  This is part of a three-part experiment: 
  1. SUV vs. car:  I've never owned a vehicle larger than a sedan, and road trips with a child feel cramped.  I wanted to try a larger vehicle, but all the sizes between sedan and SUV are essentially the same (hatchback, crossover, etc.), so I gravitated toward an SUV.
  2. Electric vs. gas:  I'm not totally pumped about SUV gas mileage, but it was a pill I could swallow.  But if an electric vehicle could offer the same size increase while also helping the environment, I could be interested.  I'm still not fully convinced the infrastructure is on par with gas, but we'll see.
  3. Lease vs. own:  I've only ever bought the cars I've driven, for better or worse.  Since I was already branching out in vehicle size and engine type, I decided to try leasing.  That way my experiment has a fixed time window.
It's been a few weeks, and so far so good.  The vehicle looks good and feels good, but that can be said about any brand new thing.  The size felt a little uncomfortable at first, but I've gotten used to it.  The electric motor is perfect for commuting because I just charge it up in my garage overnight.  Taking it on a road trip will be a different experience.  In my limited experience with charging stations, there are at least 4 different "standard" charging interfaces (think nozzle shapes) and the converters are surprisingly not included with the vehicle.  Leasing is probably the most uncomfortable part, because I have to essentially return the vehicle in "barely used" condition in a few years, which wouldn't be a problem if I was the only person using it and also the only person on the road and in parking lots, but other people exist. #travel