This is not my car.

It’s not a real car at all. It’s an AI-generated image of a car. I used this prompt: “A stylish but realistic-looking electric vehicle that a family might want.” 

I do own an electric vehicle that many families seem to want. It’s a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4, one of the higher trims. I personally think it’s stylish, but it’s certainly not for everyone.

I acquired this vehicle in the fall of 2023. It’s the first electric vehicle I’ve owned. Somewhat surprisingly given my aversion to flashy tech and the social circles I run in, I believe it’s the first pure EV owned by anyone I know well enough to know what kind of car they drive. 

I expect that won’t be the case for long.  But while it lasts, I figured I’d share my experience with this still-novel drivetrain (to me, at least) and my musings about electric personal transportation more generally. I hope — for all our sakes — that these thoughts and indeed this entire project come to feel dated in the not-too-distant future.

For now, please enjoy. I welcome feedback: in conversation on Twitter/X or Threads, in comments on individual posts below, or by email via the contact form at the bottom of my homepage here.  

We had one car until we needed two

An impending career change and kids old enough to have actual agency put us in the market. A rare find sealed the deal. Hopefully we won’t come to regret it.