Charging through Scotland

No advertisement! On our weekend trip to Edinburgh and the Highlands we had the sheer luck of being given a pretty new car: The latest Mercedes CLA 250+. We ordered an electric car, but the one we wanted (Peugeot 3008) wasn't available, so a very nice clerk gave us (probably) an upgrade. I have been scolding German carmakers for quite some time (especially for their software capabilities), so we were in for a treat.

We are absolutely committed to electric mobility. There's no need for gasoline anymore. A few edge cases remain, but the common roadtrip does not need oil. Since a few years we've been testing charging coverage and reach, mainly in Europe, this time in Scotland and the highlands. And we confirmed our experience: There is no need for oil for this type of travel.

And we were even more surprised, that the new 250+ is a decent car. It has an incredible reach (800km WLTP) and the software was actually good. Very unobtrusive, a crazily correct and detailed navigation system (obviously they switched to Google/Google Maps) with Mercedes-enriched maps, a very fine-grained steering correction and support and a not too loud and not annoying warning system. We did not have the premium edition, but it was a very good experience. I had to learn all of this after the trip - because I was surprised how the 3 days outperformed my expectations.

It's still too small and not at all practical - and much too expensive. I don't get why MB drivers complain about Tesla. The interior does not perform better than that of a Tesla in my opinion. Fake leather and plastics - and please don't get me started with this wooden stuff. The main use case is still "enjoyingly driving the car", not using it as a transport vehicle (which is more my approach). The UI still has these glow and mist visualisations. I think they distract from the important stuff, there is too much animation and movement. However, the base is solid. If they now get a grip on what they think "luxury" is displayed in a software and they put a real trunk to such a car, they are actually becoming an alternative.

And charging in Scotland, even in the Highlands, was no issue at all. There is no need for oil.