I bought a Tesla Model 3 to drive long distances. It's easier and more affordable than I expected, but there's one downside.

• Wally Nowinski bought a Tesla Model 3 in 2020 to drive from California to his parents in Michigan.
• How easy it was to find charging and how helpful the autopilot was surprised him.
• The biggest downside to him is that owning a Tesla encourages people to ask you about Elon Musk.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Wally Nowinski, a 38-year-old Tesla owner and the cofounder of PerfectRec.com based in El Cerrito, California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I bought a Tesla in July 2020. I was living in San Francisco, and being able to easily get out of the city quickly became more important as the COVID-19 pandemic set in.