Some days are just different than the others.
The brand-new VOYAH FREE stands outside, gleaming in the dim light as it charges up. My salad tastes surprisingly good—worthy of an A+, even from a basic rest stop restaurant. But I need to make the most of my time. This is the life of an electric car owner, especially with the FREE’s energy-draining Performance mode. Charging station stops are a regular affair. It’s late fall, or perhaps early winter, but let’s stick with fall since the temperature hovers just above freezing. The FREE still has its summer tires on, and there’s a significant risk of snow in the coming days. At the moment, however, it’s only raining. The FREE certainly lives its best life, attracting attention like a magnet. Tesla owners cast envious glances its way, as if regretting their choices.
With enough battery to enjoy the last few hours of daylight, I prepare to hit the road. But something isn’t quite right. The app shows that charging has stopped, yet the so-called congestion charge keeps ticking as if it has gone mad. The charging cable jams into the FREE’s port. Locking and unlocking the vehicle does nothing, nor does the charging unit’s emergency stop. Repeating these steps proves futile, and now the app has decided to stop working altogether. I have no choice but to call customer service.
“Hello from customer service, how can I help you?”
“You drive what? I’ve never heard of that manufacturer or model.Have you tried locking and unlocking the car?”
Minutes pass.
“Give me one last chance. I’ll try restarting and stopping the charge remotely.”
“Oh, good to hear. Could I please have the manufacturer’s name again? I need to update our instructions.”
This final trick is a relief, and the whole incident becomes a new experience for me. They later refund the congestion charge without hesitation.
As darkness falls, I plan to find a quiet place to film a few stories. It’s what you do in the era of social media, right? The FREE, even in the dark, impresses. But then the day takes an unexpected turn.
Today’s lesson: always check gate opening hours before driving into a fenced area. The gate can close without warning. It happened in the middle of filming, leaving no time to get into the FREE and drive out before the gate shut completely. One would expect the gate to be automatic, allowing exit at least. The weirdest part? The sign on the gate indicated I still had three minutes before it was supposed to close. Ironically, I only saw this sign from the inside once the gate was shut.
Luckily, there was a security company number, leading to my second customer service call of the day. The person on the other line was very helpful for a small fee of around 100 euros. It wasn’t about the fee itself but rather the principle—agreeing to it felt unreasonable since the gate closed prematurely. The fee remained constant around the clock, so I decided to explore another way out.
The massive parking lot, nearly empty except for a few cars, seemed deserted. Better to check for an alternative exit than pay this ridiculous fee. The FREE got its first taste of rallying. Its Outing mode lifted the car for more challenging terrain, so I tested it, searching for a hole in the fence. Understandably, I won’t disclose details of the location, but someone had done a thorough job fencing it. All doors were shut, no doorbells in sight, and most buildings were unlit. It was Sunday evening, making it unlikely anyone would show up before Monday. Leaving the FREE there overnight didn’t seem attractive, especially with signs of a private parking company around. Either pay for the gate opening or risk a parking ticket.
But there was hope. Light echoed from one window, and curiosity took over. The blinds were shut tight, but through a tiny hole, I saw a woman working on a computer. Knocking on the window might give her a heart attack or make her think a ghost was outside. Why was she working late on a Sunday? Even lawyers need to recharge for the week ahead.
But she had to leave eventually, right? She couldn’t stay all night. It seemed more likely she’d exit soon, and there was only one way out. So, I parked next to the gate, hidden in the darkness. For a while, I played with the FREE’s settings—like how many cars let you choose a fragrance? Eventually, I grew bored.
After an hour or so, the gate suddenly started moving, but no one was around. Then a car appeared and drove in. Half-asleep, everything happened quickly. As soon as the vehicle passed, the FREE literally flew out of the gate. No one probably saw it, not even the driver of the incoming car, but it felt like a scene from a movie. What a win!