Growing up on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Saturday afternoons were anticipated with great joy. It was the day when we could watch shows on the lone television station, having to focus on doing homework during the week. Today, binge watching is several episodes of the same show but when I was growing up, it was a one-hour episode of several different shows. This was the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. We watched wrestling, The A Team, Baywatch, and Knight Rider. That was what was on; you either watched it or you played outside. One of my favourites was Knight Rider: The story of a tag team man and machine, (car), who fought to defeat villains in every episode. The man was Michael played by David Hasselhoff and the car was Kitt.
In those days, the car was futuristic, being able to understand commands, drive itself, and almost function as an emotional human being.
Does this all sound familiar? It would for some, and it certainly does for me. Fast forward to 2017 when I test drove a Tesla Model X. This was Kitt in the flesh. It was majestic looking to begin with, as the back doors opened upwards revealing what resembled the wingspan of a falcon. As I prepared myself to depart, my role as a driver increasingly dwindled as I realized how amazing this independent, or should I say autonomous this vehicle was. I was too nervous to try all the features, but I experienced more of this technology as a passenger of a family friend. I stood in my driveway and watched him ‘reverse’ his car without a person seated inside. Not only this, but a Tesla can navigate on autopilot, automatically change lanes, can be summoned, and it can park itself. If your mind is not yet blown, it can go from zero to sixty in 2.6 seconds. Did I mention that apart from all this hype it is electric? Yes, it is not a gas guzzler.
Being totally enchanted by Tesla, I purchased a share, yes one share, just fiddling in the market. I have since sold that one, and I now own six shares. Aside from the expected long-term gains, I feel a sense of nostalgia as one of my favourite television characters has come to life. If you think I am being biased, you are partially right. I am literally seeing Kitt come to fruition when as a young child I never conceived that possibility. Until I can afford a Tesla and fully explore Kitt, I am satisfied to hold a negligible stake in the company.
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