This morning upon arising from the lair I was immediately gripped with interest by an email from a friend about his disappointing escapade with a passenger automobile. To begin, almost anything about automobiles intrigues me.  I have had many throughout my past, starting with a Ford Mustang and then moving through the catalogue of passenger vehicles offered by both the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Nor have all those experiences been entirely satisfactory – which is the second topic of engrossment; namely, the record of mechanical travails or even endurance of the so-called “lemon”. I won’t repeat my friend’s narrative except to say that, after having participated in a Class Action suit against the manufacturer, he surfaced scathed but in tact.

I mention this empathic tale, not merely because it bespeaks the subplot of my current engagement with a new electric tricycle, but because – more favourably – it serendipitously heralded the installation this morning of a charging cord wall hanger for the new electric Cadillac. Getting into the mix of all these electric wires and plugs and chargers already has me in a spin.  Though my father was an electrical engineer from the University of New Brunswick – and though he puttered with plugs and cords from time to time – never have I been exposed to such a myriad of contraptions related to an electric vehicle (EV).  The only thing I’ve garnered from it all to date is that there is a 240v outlet and a 120v outlet, reflecting the Level 2 and Level 1 charging scope. There are also super-duper chargers (such as I believe have been invented by Tesla); and, I understand one can purchase an adapter to connect to those outlets.

All this is to say it’s a yawning plethora of information for an old “gas guzzling” guy like me to absorb. Nonetheless I am intent upon acquiring at the very least a practical knowledge of what needs to be done to make it all work.  It is frankly but one more indication of my fascination with evolving technology, whether computers, smart phones, software or electric vehicles. It’s the closest thing I know to keeping me alive and alert as my own private domaine suffers incremental decomposition and decline. In my blissful ignorance I am quite prepared to forego a comprehension of how exactly it all works. But I have every intention of making it work and reaping its benefits.

With the 240v outlet now installed on the pillar beside my parking space; and this morning’s addition of the charging cable hanger, I’m well on my way to accommodating this latest EV intelligence and science. Just to be certain however we drove to the dealership late this afternoon to inspect the charging cable(s) for the vehicle. I have 3 months before my dealer-correspondent and I put the final touches to the order of the new 2026 Optiq. With the external hardware now complete, I await the related commotion with excitement. The transition from gas to electric will no doubt have other matters to digest along the way – such as adjusting to travel exigencies. My less complacent side tells me that this may be my last waltz with Henry Ford et al. Accordingly I am relishing the composition for maximum output!