‘The drive and feel' sold doctor on a Taycan

COVID-19 has changed the way Dr. Anthony Wehbe works. He depends on his car to make house calls to older patients who are fearful of visiting the hospital. He wasn't sure an electric vehicle would be compatible with driving about 200 miles per day.

"I told the guys at Porsche, if I get stuck on the highway without any juice, you're coming to pick me up. And they gave me a promise: 'We'll come wherever you are,' " he said of Porsche of the Main Line, the Newton Square, Pa., dealership that delivered Wehbe's Taycan in January.

Even though the Tesla Model S that he tested could go further on a charge, Wehbe wasn't swayed.

"The Tesla design never appealed to me, the way it looks. The way it drives — it does not drive like a Porsche," he said. "Even though the Taycan had a lower range [between charges] than the Tesla, it drives like a Porsche. The Tesla doesn't give you the feeling of a sports car. That was the deciding factor."

He also cited brand loyalty and the Porsche dealer network as being important in his purchase decision. Wehbe's two previous cars were Porsche Panameras, and he wanted to stay with the brand.

He likes the fact that Porsche will continue to offer gasoline-powered vehicles while also investigating other fuels.

"Over the last year, when I knew I was going to get a new car, I started researching electric vehicles. I wanted to see what all the rage was about, I wanted to see what was different about them. Certainly, being environmentally conscious was a factor as well. But the biggest factor was the drive and feel," he said.

Wehbe believes the environmental benefits of EVs are being overhyped, citing the emissions produced to create electricity as well as to manufacture the vehicles.

Even though Wehbe has not changed his driving habits, by doing such things as braking longer distances in order to capture more regenerated energy, he has gotten over his range anxiety.

"Honestly that's been the biggest surprise. I have never gotten below 40 percent of my battery. Like I plug in my phone at night, I plug in my car in the garage when I come home at the end of the day."

Wehbe's Porsche, however, can still be seen at his favorite gas station.

"I love my coffee. There's a Dunkin' Donuts in the gas station I used to go to. Now, I just stop for coffee. I haven't stopped for gas in a couple of months."