YouTuber Trades in Tesla Model X For 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid
Tesla’s Model X is cool, but compared to a Honda Accord Hybrid, it comes up short in a few crucial areas.
Battery electric cars are all the rage these days. And Tesla is largely responsible for making them sexy and desirable. Automakers once scoffed at the idea of mass-market EV’s, but now they probably wish they started researching the technology years ago. It’s the wave of the future. That being said, there are still significant limitations when it comes to EV ownership. One major shortcoming is their limited range for road trips, something that isn’t a problem in something like a Honda Accord Hybrid.
That’s the situation Dan Markham of What’s Inside? Family experienced when taking his family on long road trips. Charging technology still has a long way to go before owners can fully recharge their vehicles as fast as a gasoline fill-up. Battery range is a related issue.
As it stands right now, EV’s cannot match the range of most internal combustion vehicles. The Tesla Model X most definitely comes up short in that area when pitted against the Accord Hybrid. Normally, comparing a four-year-old Accord to a nearly new Tesla would be absurd, but in this case, it makes a lot of sense.
Electric Vehicles Have Their Limitations
It’s important to note that the Markham family did not wholly abandon electric vehicles. Despite selling his 2018 Model X, Markham’s wife has her own Model X and they currently have no plans to sell it. And they also own a Tesla Roadster. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the Tesla Model X,” says Markham.
The father of three decided that having to accommodate the Tesla’s charging requirements wasn’t worth it. The Markham clan’s road trips take them about two and a half hours away from their home, or about 280 miles total. Coincidentally, the Model X he owned also has a 280-mile range. But actually getting that range out of the crossover was nearly impossible for him.
Markham disliked the 40 minute wait time to fully recharge the battery and the lack of charging stations. “It seemed like every day or every other day we had to base our schedule around this Tesla Model X and it was incredibly inconvenient,” says Markham.
Honda Accord Hybrid FTW
By contrast, the Accord Hybrid is the polar opposite of the Model X. “When I fill this 12-gallon tank up with gas I have six hundred miles range,” says Markham. He notes that he can get all the way to Salt Lake City and half the way back to his house before he needs to refill the tank.
Markham also informs viewers that, with half a tank of gas, the Accord can still be driven longer than a fully charged Model X. “I can’t tell you how big of a relief it was to get in the Honda Accord and to know that no matter where I drove, on these road trips, on these family vacations…I could just stop and get gas wherever. And it only takes a couple of minutes to get gas,” says Markham.
For long road trips, hybrids just can’t be beat.
“For now I’m calling [the Accord] my road warrior car,” says Markham. Markham’s long-range requirements are no doubt similar to many Americans’ needs. Hybrid cars are quite revolutionary, giving drivers the ability to drive 500-plus miles on a single tank. That’s something only pickup truck drivers could previously do with an auxiliary tank. And Honda pioneered hybrid technology nearly twenty years ago with the original Insight. That’s enabled them to build on years of experience and offer newer models like the TLX Sport Hybrid and 2019 Insight.
Electric cars are cool and deserve praise, but for now, nothing can replace a hybrid’s range and fuel efficiency. Markham learned that hybrids still have a place in today’s market. We’re hoping Honda continues to develop hybrids alongside fully electric vehicles because of their advantages.