Socrates stated that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’, cue my unexpected, but rather pleasant and introspective journey in a Tesla Model S that pulled up swiftly, four minutes to be precise, after I clicked ‘confirm ride’ on Uber.

The journey was philosophical for more reasons than it was excessive. That’s perhaps a surprise considering the £70k price tag of the lavish Tesla toy, and the ten-minute journey for which I had the privilege of being chauffeured around. However, for those of us whose colleges are effectively a flight away from all the action, the Uber life is an uber choice that saves one from the hardship of endless foot-toil. Sleek, smooth and silent, the Tesla Model S didn’t disappoint, and in those ten minutes I could understand what all the hype was about, and the cult of Elon Musk more generally.

“I was in the sexiest and speediest thing on the road”

Minutes one to four:

After seeing the Tesla pull up in front of me, I played it cool and casual, not least because I’m not a man for cars, but after getting inside, sitting down and taking it all in, a new reality dawned on me, literally. Indifference quickly became intrigue. I told the driver what a beautiful car he was driving, he replied with a thanks and remarked on how much he enjoys the smooth drive and feel of the car, and he wasn’t wrong.

The first feeling and thought that came to my mind was a sense of moral superiority. Here I was, a passenger of a silent sensation that attracted attention from onlookers and other drivers (well, at least I thought). For those ten minutes I was the manifestation of the green bean who makes use of the ‘good’ resources at their disposal, electric cars in this instance; this allowed me to pour some epistemological scorn on those in their fuel emitting vehicles. I can’t say that this moral superiority didn’t make me feel good, I was in the sexiest and speediest thing on the road — despite the fact the driver was driving awfully slowly — but upon contemplation, this supreme sense of superiority soured.

“Upon contemplation, this supreme sense of superiority soured”

Minutes five to eight

Having watched the BBC Panorama episode on Tesla’s alleged exploitative practices in its supply chain just days before, I could consider myself lucky that I wasn’t tainted by ignorance for too long. The paradox of Tesla, like many companies, is a luxurious exterior (quite literally) accompanied by a fine product and big-brained businessman owner, but the truth is more complex, somewhat akin to the realities of the Cambridge student life. The company is far from transparent in its supply chain sourcing and management, that is despite the clarity, class, and certainty that comes when being driven around in a fine Tesla-Mobil. Additionally, as a dilettante in luxury cars, I had no idea that the Tesla experience consisted of door handles that hardly appear as such at first.

Alas, amid all of this moral conflict I began thinking about the paradox of electric cars, and of the experience of riding aboard one more generally. Are electric cars truly the real deal? Can a low-emission lifestyle be a long-term source of my newly found sense of moral supremacy? Do non-door-handle-like door handles really make Tesla cars look better? Was the Uber driver noticing the novelty of my experience?

Minutes nine and ten:

There were also some other more practical reservations I had that challenged my initial internal instincts. The thrill of a silent ride is what attracts many electric car enthusiasts to them even more — I happen to be an anomaly for what it’s worth. Nevertheless, it’s a further differentiation from the dirty drive that is characteristic of diesel and petrol cars. No noise or fuel pollution, electric cars are an enigma as much as they are revelation and revolution. But introspection took me to a strange place and the danger of silent cars, namely for passengers, is something that will need to be addressed with electric cars.

‘Silent drives take lives’ was a potential newspaper headline that flashed through my mind when sitting in the car dwelling on this matter towards the end of my journey. Indeed, if any philosophical state could sum up my feeling towards the end of the trip, it was one of existentialist confusion and paranoia. However, unlike most, at least I can say that my journey in a Tesla was truly philosophical.