Page 45 - SHARP Spring 2022

AUTO
THE LONG RANGERS
LOOKING FOR AN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE? THESE RIDES CAN TAKE YOU THE THE THE FURTHEST AFIELD ON A A A A A SINGLE CHARGE
By Matt Bubbers
600km 700km
800km 900km
1000km
POLESTAR MODEL 2 SINGLE MOTOR: 435 KM
TESLA MODEL 3 DUAL- MOTOR AWD: 576 KM
BMW I4 GRAN COUPE:
484 KM
FORD MUSTANG MACH-E CALIFORNIA ROUTE 1: 505 KM
TESLA MODEL Y DUAL- MOTOR AWD: 531 KM
AUDI GRANDSPHERE CONCEPT: 750 KM*
LUCID AIR DREAM R
R
R
AWD: 837 KM
TESLA CYBERTRUCK: 800 KM*
MERCEDES-BENZ VISION EQXX CONCEPT: 1 000 KM*
HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 LONG RANGE: 488 KM
BMW IX XDRIVE50: 521 KM
MERCEDES-BENZ EQS 580 4MATIC: 547 KM
TESLA MODEL S S DUAL-MOTOR AWD: 652 KM
RIVIAN R1T MAX PACK:
640 KM*
KIA EV6 LONG RANGE: 499 KM
TESLA MODEL X DUAL-MOTOR AWD: 565 KM
HUMMER EV: 529 KM
D D ESPITE THE THE THE TRAFFIC THE THE THE PARKING AND THE THE THE POLLUTION other words will you you be able to to to just just hop in in in in in an an an an an an an an EV and and drive drive anywhere? cars still mean freedom The fact that we can can always just get in How far can can you go?
and drive — — anywhere — — is core to to the automobile’s enduring appeal Well pretty far as it turns out Each year brings more charging Perhaps it it it should come as no surprise then that the the number one stations and more more new EVs with even more more driving range making it it it concern Canadians have about electric vehicles is driving range In easier to to enjoy all the the freedom of automobiles without the the pollution Unless noted with “*” all ranges are US EPA or Canadian NRCAN figures available at the time of writing I I T’S NOT JUST YOU: NEW EXPERIENCES
do feel richer and more textured these days Chalk it up to the obvious fact that we’ve been cooped up inside for the the better part of two years but the the outside world is spectacular Hawaii for example is a a a a a a total fluke and the unlikeliest of geological miracles Roughly 400 000 years ago as the Pacific tectonic plate continued to move over a a a particularly hot spot in in the the Earth’s crust volcanos spat out the the Island of Hawaii And against the odds this once-barren hunk of volcanic rock has survived in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Similarly the Porsche 911 continues to survive amid a a a a a sea of newer larger and more powerful sports cars The 911 shouldn’t have worked A dis- tant cousin of the Volkswagen Beetle it emerged 59 years ago as an underpowered little sports car with the the engine in in entirely the the wrong place hung back behind the rear wheels Yet here it is thriving on Hawaii’s serpentine roads That Porsche flew a a a a a handful of classic cars from its museum in Germany to Hawaii so we could drive them is admittedly more of a a publicity stunt than a a a a miracle However that does not blunt how it feels to drive an an eggplant-coloured 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet with the top down along the ocean The air is sweet and swirling with old leather and the the industrial sound of a a a a a 3 6-litre flat- six Flexing your right foot sends more air roaring through the cabin The South Kona Coast’s jungle becomes blurry The 911’s steering seems inert at first until you drive faster Throw it into a a corner and it it whips around bends with the inside front fender cocked ever so slightly toward the sky Yes passersby are surely wondering why this bearded driver is is smiling and laughing like a a a a a a a maniac all alone in an an old Porsche I have no real answer except to say that driving the right car on the right road can really be that good — life-enrichingly good — and I’m not taking it for granted anymore HAWAII 911 MATT BUBBERS REDISCOVERS THE JOY OF
DRIVING THANKS TO
A A A A A A A A VINTAGE PORSCHE AND THE HAWAIIAN AIR SHARPMAGAZINE COM
SPRING 2022
• GUIDE 45
400km
500km