British automotive authority and TV host James May is known for his colorful personality, eager fascination and an eclectic point of view on a wide range of cars from old-timey classics, to the latest and greatest in supercars and consumer-focused compacts.
May's own personal collection is just as eclectic. Alongside gas-guzzling big boy toys like Ferraris, Porsches and vintage motorcycles, previous highlights of his garage included EVs and alternative fuel cars like the Tesla Model S and the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai.
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In a recent episode of The Intercooler podcast, the former 'Top Gear' host revealed that he took delivery of a new Tesla Model 3, but aired out his grievances with EV ownership.
Though there are things that he loves about electric cars, such as the ability to run silently - charging is the culprit that he feels is holding the technology back.
May said that the infrastructure to handle mass EV adoption would need to be much more expansive, with the United Kingdom alone requiring "millions" of chargers if the current technology does not evolve. He presented his point of view on the issue, suggesting that electric car technology should be given a work-around.
"What people call 'range anxiety,' I actually think is recharging anxiety," James May said on the podcast. "If an electric car had a small battery [...] it's only got a range of say 150 miles, but it recharges in one minute - I'd be delighted with that."
'The Grand Tour' host also pointed out that the current technology of EVs is built around the realities of the charging infrastructure, which prioritizes the need to qualm customer's built-in range anxiety.
"The reason why we have cars like my outgoing Tesla Model S, bloody huge thing that weighs slightly more than a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow [...] is because of that massive battery," May said. "It has to have the massive battery because it's an acknowledgment that charging is an issue. And even with massive batteries, the range of electric cars is not that impressive - compared with my [Volkswagen] Polo, which will do easily 450 miles on a tank."
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Although James May has been a advocate for alternative fuels like hydrogen and electric cars both on TV and online, he feels that he is a "bad evangelist" for the electric car, citing his unique, "privileged" situation that isn't exactly representative of the average motorist.
"I like being part of the experiment, I feel an obligation as a car enthusiast to do my bit," May said. "People like me are bad evangelists for the electric car because I have two homes. That's my most regular journey between both and I can charge at both indoors, [...] they're only 100 miles apart and I've got numerous other cars to use if I need to go somewhere else."
"That doesn't mean [electric cars] are ready for widespread adoption yet."
May also touched on a variety of other topics with hosts and Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel on the The Intercooler podcast, including the possibility of EVs hitting the collector car market, as well as his prolific TV career on Top Gear and Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour.
