Driving a Carice TC2

It was seven years ago when I met the founders of Carice, who were developing a concept for a new kind of car; a classic design, lightweight construction, and an electric drivetrain.

It’s a concept that hooked me then, and it’s been an absolute privilege to see them develop this concept into a real car since that fateful day. Last week, another important milestone was crossed when I became the proud owner of the very first Carice TC2 that rolled off the factory floor.

This is not a review of that car – I couldn’t be impartial if I tried, it’s too dear to me. I’ve seen the car grow from sketches on paper to the first parts arriving at the factory. From the painful moments during covid lockdown when it was impossible to get supplies, to them powering through, with never ending dedication and patience, to them asking me to say a few words when they unveiled very first prototype model to a small audience of family and friends.

But I will say that the Carice TC2 is a beautiful car and it’s an absolute joy to drive. I could talk about its specs but that would be missing the point; just as a camera isn’t measured by its megapixels, or a computer by the speed of its CPU, the Carice is not designed to dazzle you with specs, but to put a smile on your face when you drive, and at that it succeeds in spades.

I don’t know how fast it goes from 0 to 100, but it also doesn’t matter; because it weighs only 590kg, because you sit close to the road, and because it feels like you have a very direct connection to the engine, the feeling is indescribable and it puts a permanent grin on my face. It’s not the specs that matter, it’s the experience, and that’s where it excels.

The car is also work of art. It’s modern on the inside, but an absolute classic on the outside. The bodywork is subtle and beautiful – I don’t have the words to describe it, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. The cabin has a classic steering wheel and a beautifully polished dashboard with manual switches for everything. There’s design touches and details everywhere to delight the driver.

I knew I wanted to write about the car and take pictures to accompany it, so I drove to spot near to The Hague, where I live, to take some pictures emphasising the car’s origins. The Carice team are Dutch and are building their cars here in the Netherlands and so what could be more Dutch than windmills?

I’ll wrap up with a little practical note; you like what you see, get in touch with Carice where you can now reserve your spot now on next year’s production batch. Spaces limited.