I’m almost seventy and I still work — mostly on small airport runways, fixing lighting systems, wiring and safety equipment. One week I’m in Austria, another in Italy, then somewhere in eastern Slovakia. Because of that, I always drove big, strong cars. My last one was a VW Touareg. It carried tools, cables and half a workshop in the trunk. It never failed me, but it drank fuel like a thirsty horse.
After a while, the noise and the fuel bills started to get to me. I realised I was spending more time behind the wheel than at home. My kids kept repeating: “Dad, why don’t you get something easier to drive?” So last year I finally changed. I bought a Toyota hybrid — not fully electric, because I often drive long distances and I cannot depend on chargers being available in every small town.
For the way I work, the hybrid is perfect. When I’m leaving Rohovce early in the morning, the car is quiet on electric mode. When I hit the motorway or drive through mountains, the petrol engine takes over smoothly. I charge the car at home. That’s the biggest advantage of living in a family house — I don’t have to hunt for chargers. In Slovakia we do have charging apps and different operators, but I only use them when I absolutely must. I see younger colleagues juggling five different apps on their phones. At 69, I don’t need that kind of stress.
The difference compared to the Touareg is huge. I used to burn 8–12 litres per 100 km. Now I often drive with half of that, sometimes even less if the route is flat. The hybrid is quieter, smoother, and I’m not as tired after long trips. It’s the first car in years that actually relaxes me on the road instead of exhausting me.
If I have any advice for people my age: try a hybrid for a week. Don’t just read about them. Once you experience how quiet and easy they are, you won’t want to go back. And you don’t need to be a tech expert to use it. The car does the thinking for you. For me, switching to a hybrid was the right decision. I still travel far for work, but the journeys are cheaper, quieter and easier on my back. At this age, that’s what matters the most.