Anneleen, our first electric driving colleague

At the beginning of this year Anneleen started as Trainee Consultant with Trevalco, since then she is driving with the first electric car in our fleet. We ask her whether she is happy with the car, and of course how she is liking the job.

How long are you working now with Trevalco?

In september 2022 that will be 8 months, starts counting right.

You started almost immediately on an assignment with Pfizer in Puurs, what are you doing there exactly?

At Pfizer Puurs I work as Production Engineer, supporting the production process of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. I am involved with the implementation and validation of two new installations in the preparation area, and from production I am responsible for training.

Is your job what you had been expecting as a student?

As a student graduating Master in Biochemistry and Biotechnology I had originally expected something in a more academic or research setting, but in the end I really like my current job in the pharmaceutical industry. I am really happy with my job as a consultant and having this as a first work experience.

You are driving a new Nissan Leaf, how do you like that?

The luxury of driving a company car and having a charging card from the company is of course great. The Nissan Leaf drives swiftly, and thanks to its hp can accelerate quickly, which offers extra safety in certain situations. The ‘one pedal’ system is easy to get used to and a pleasure to drive, after a while I did notice switching back to a car with manual gears becomes more difficult In addition I am proud because thanks to this electric car I can reduce carbon emissions.

Do you sometimes have stress that battery capacity is insufficient to reach your destination?

For my daily commute I can do the full week on one full battery charge. When I want to drive longer distances in my spare time then I do have to calculate up front whether this will work one one battery charge, or where I can recharge along the way. The long charging times of an electric car make it necessary to plan ahead when travelling longer distances. Also the first weeks I had to learn from experience how many kilometers the car could effectively drive with one full charge, because much depends on driving style and whether you drive a lot on highways.

Which arguments would you use to convince your coworkers to give electric driving a try?

If the battery range of the Nissan Leaf is sufficient for your daily commute and your regular drives, and you have the possibility to install a charging point at your home then switching to an electric car is certainly worth a try. And the heating of the steering wheel is great during the colder months ?.