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The Niro EV Vibe Check

by: Mardline Prevot





Shout out to the Black women drivers setting the tone—the speakers are blasting Rihanna’s “Needed Me,” so we’re instantly on that Caribbean energy. And yeah, the car straight-up smells like cocoa butter in here. It’s a whole mood.

My one immediate critique is that main display screen: it’s totally giving Microsoft wallpaper from 2007. It just is.



We pulled up at 3:13 on the dot. I watched the driver hit the gas with a powerful push, almost like a scene with Swattie from Claws (though, full disclosure, I’ve never actually watched the show). Then, the music shifted. "Gloria" came on, triggering the deep, existential thoughts: How do men leave the mothers of their children? That was quickly followed by “Don’t Deserve” and a track by Sia. The internal mood is definitely shifting!

  • Side Note: The crickets are surprisingly loud, even in the middle of the day.

Via Kia of Bowie 

Part 2: The Time Warp & The Hamster Car

The thought process is jumping around. I had to drop off some corporate "survivor" gifts for my cousin, who’s visiting from Brooklyn. While waiting, I caught sight of the car next to us: a Gray Kia Soul.

I swear, the Kia Soul looks like a little hamster car. This observation is 100% influenced by those classic Soul commercials I watched during my internship. Speaking of internships and childhood, that whole commercial/TV thing reminds me I grew up watching Disney on cassette tapes because cable wasn't always in the budget back then.

Via Kia of Beavercreek



I'm mentally giving a shout-out to my peers—the band greeks, the fellowship winners—who constantly surprise me with their hustle. It’s inspiring.

Then, the car music shifts again, and the whole vibe transports me back to 2015. Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder” is playing. This older ride, with its retro Kia logo, feels miles away from the modern, sleek look of the Blue Kia Niro EV I started in. The ride is literally taking me through time.

Now, that’s the vibe check I needed. The journey is ending as we pull up past the Royal Ballroom (that name always gets me). I love this process of writing it all down—these little car rides, the music, the memories. It all makes me reflect on my younger self. Back then, it was the radio, 97.1 Wash FM, VHS tapes, and, most importantly, family that helped nurture me. The car is just the backdrop; the thoughts are the real ride.

What unexpected place or moment has triggered a major wave of nostalgia for you recently?






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