Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[JoeS. via EV]

Hi,

Thanks for your note.

Yes, winter driving with the heater on does rob the car's range. I regularly 
make a 65-mile round trip to SFO without recharging, but not with the heater 
on. Invariably, I pre-plan my longer trips and find places to charge which 
makes it doable when combined with a meeting or lunch or dinner. Range on the 
i-MiEV is very controllable by simply the speed at which one drives, and 
CHAdeMO makes it dramatically much more usable for longer trips than only the 
3kW charger.

Take care, and happy EVing.

Joe Siudzinski




On Oct 26, 2015, at 08:01 , tomw [via Electric Vehicle Discussion List] wrote:

> Joe, thank you for taking the time to make this post.  I've not driven the 
> i-MiEV, but like its looks and prefer small cars due to their greater energy 
> efficiency and great maneuverability.  As far as plastic, almost all cars 
> have had mainly plastic interiors for years.  I do wish they had given it a 
> bit more range, but it works well for the market they targeted- city driving. 
>  I frequently drive to a town about 30 miles distant, mostly 60-65 mph 
> driving, and would be concerned with making the round trip in winter with 
> heat on in the i-Miev.  I make it with about 35% SoC remaining in my 
> conversion in those conditions which is similar in size to the i-Miev but 
> with a 20.7kWh pack. 
> 
> If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion 
> below:
> http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Re-EVLN-i-MiEV-is-America-s-lowest-cost-EV-for-a-reason-tp4678237p4678365.html
> To unsubscribe from Re: EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a 
> reason, click here.
> NAML



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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[Willie2 via EV]

On 10/26/2015 10:09 AM, dovepa via EV wrote:

I have never had the need for fast charging since I bought mine 8 months ago


I did not intend to do any chademo charging when I bought my imiev.  However, 
EVGo has recently been installing charge stations in the Austin area after 
getting well established in the Dallas and Houston areas.  Apparently, they 
offer no cost charging while they are getting established.  Their normal fee is 
about $10, around 10 times electric cost; I will be a customer at those prices 
only in emergencies.  However, I am using them now while there is no fee.  I 
guess my price threshold is about twice the cost of electricity.

https://plus.google.com/102434734002949174273/posts/NzXg9cyBHR3
https://plus.google.com/102434734002949174273/posts/Ksibj7y13Tp
https://plus.google.com/102434734002949174273/posts/WteSCpUuR9K

Those are typical daily trips for me, 75-100 miles though some days go 
up to about 150 miles.  Before using EVGo, I had mostly been using the 
imiev for three routes which are ~20 miles, ~40 miles, and ~ 60 miles.


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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[tomw via EV]

Joe, thank you for taking the time to make this post.  I've not driven the
i-MiEV, but like its looks and prefer small cars due to their greater energy
efficiency and great maneuverability.  As far as plastic, almost all cars
have had mainly plastic interiors for years.  I do wish they had given it a
bit more range, but it works well for the market they targeted- city
driving.  I frequently drive to a town about 30 miles distant, mostly 60-65
mph driving, and would be concerned with making the round trip in winter
with heat on in the i-Miev.  I make it with about 35% SoC remaining in my
conversion in those conditions which is similar in size to the i-Miev but
with a 20.7kWh pack.

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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[dovepa via EV]

I have never had the need for fast charging since I bought mine 8 months ago


Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone Original message 
From: "SLPinfo.org via EV"  Date: 10/26/2015  8:58 
AM  (GMT-06:00) To: "JoeS." , Electric Vehicle Discussion 
List  Subject: Re: [EVDL]
    EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason 
Joe,

Your post is very timely for me.  I appreciate you coming to the defence of
this fun little car.

My lead sled S10 conversion was due for new batteries and I have grown
tired of both battery maintenance and (as a non-mechanic, non-engineer)
worrying about what happens if something breaks down.  So this past
Saturday my wife and I went out and test drove a 2011 Leaf and a 2012
i-MiEV.

The $3k less for the i-MiEV is ultimately what sealed the deal for me, but
I agree whole heartedly with all your comments.  My only regret is ours
doesn't have the fast charge port (not standard on earlier models).  It was
our only choice however as it appeared to be the only used i-MiEV available
in the Portland area right now.  But never having used any public charging
stations before I don't know how many fast chargers we have in the area
anyway.

Btw-I personally found the Leaf's responsiveness from a dead stop quite
pedestrian compared to the i-MiEV.

Peter Flipsen
Hillsboro, OR
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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[SLPinfo.org via EV]

Joe,

Your post is very timely for me.  I appreciate you coming to the defence of
this fun little car.

My lead sled S10 conversion was due for new batteries and I have grown
tired of both battery maintenance and (as a non-mechanic, non-engineer)
worrying about what happens if something breaks down.  So this past
Saturday my wife and I went out and test drove a 2011 Leaf and a 2012
i-MiEV.

The $3k less for the i-MiEV is ultimately what sealed the deal for me, but
I agree whole heartedly with all your comments.  My only regret is ours
doesn't have the fast charge port (not standard on earlier models).  It was
our only choice however as it appeared to be the only used i-MiEV available
in the Portland area right now.  But never having used any public charging
stations before I don't know how many fast chargers we have in the area
anyway.

Btw-I personally found the Leaf's responsiveness from a dead stop quite
pedestrian compared to the i-MiEV.

Peter Flipsen
Hillsboro, OR
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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[Willie2 via EV]

On 10/26/2015 03:12 AM, JoeS. via EV wrote:

As the very happy owner of three i-MiEVs (one purchased new, two used) in the
I agree with most/all you say.  The imiev's performance is entirely 
satisfactory.


The range estimator on the imiev is very good, especially compared to 
the Leaf's but the access to to display is somewhere between 
inconvenient and dangerous.  As you know, you have to chose one of: 
odometer, trip A, trip B, range remaining, temperature, and two very 
uninteresting maintenance parameters.  You must cycle sequentially 
through the parameters to get to the one of current interest.  To make 
that selection, one has to snake one's arm around the steering wheel.  
Compared to the car's attractions, that's rather minor and I can live 
with it.


One more relatively minor gripe: the front and rear tires/wheels are 
different sizes!  And spare wheels are almost unavailable.  Even with a 
Tesla, a single spare is easily found.


As many EV producers have done in the past, Mitsubishi has decided not 
to sell many of their EVs.  With a range of 100-150 miles, the imiev 
would be the second most desirable EV available in the USA. With a good 
supply, I believe they could outsell the Leaf.


There are two Mitsubishi dealers within 40 miles of me.  I had to buy 
mine from a dealer 200 miles distant.  Very few potential buyers are 
willing to go that distance to get a car.  I was visiting some relatives 
in Golden Colorado and touting the imiev; I talked them into going on a 
test drive.  There were none in Denver/Golden/Boulder.  We went to Ft 
Collins to drive one.  Even with that deterrent, a sale would have been 
made had the car had a range of 100 miles instead of only 60.



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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[JoeS. via EV]

As the very happy owner of three i-MiEVs (one purchased new, two used) in the
family and with over 50K miles now racked up on these vehicles, I find
myself constantly needing to correct the misperceptions promulgated by the
media about the i-MiEV, the most egregious of which was Consumer Reports a
couple of years ago - see the detailed rebuttal at
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1286

This article has quite a few personal biases thrown in, which I guess is to
be expected. Phrases such as "one could tolerate the 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV"
countered by "it’s not a bad little car" in the same sentence leave me
wondering about the point the author is trying to make. Unfortunately,
throughout the article the author keeps comparing the i-MiEV to vehicles
much more expensive as the i-MiEV, especially after rebates are taken into
account.

Let's examine the sentence "The Mitsubishi i-MiEV just feels cheap with
doors that seem to have the heft of cat food cans and an interior filled
with hard plastic surfaces." In the interest of efficiency, the i-MiEV's
design seriously targeted weight reduction throughout, so, yes, the car's
body panels are thin. I happen to prefer the interior plastic as it's easy
to keep clean. That said, the author could have mentioned the desire for
better acoustical and thermal insulation in those doors - it might have
given him a more satisfying "thunk" when he slammed the door.

To his credit, the author was very realistic in acknowledging the car's
single-charge range (easily >70 miles with EPA=62miles) and consistent
predictive Range Remaining, but dwelled unnecessarily on charging times and
port locations. Yes, the car has a CHAdeMO port (standard equipment) on the
left rear and J1772 on the right rear, and the range is such that the i-MiEV
meets more than 99% of our family's trip needs around the greater San
Francisco Bay Area.

On the topic of instrumentation, there are two identically-sized
very-readable gauges to the left and right of the main display (which shows
instantaneous power/regen and the speedometer): these are the fuel gauge on
the left and a multi-purpose gauge on the right, which most of us leave in
the Range Remaining mode. Thus, I don't understand what the author meant
when he said "One flaw is the instrument gauges. Too much space is devoted
to a faux fuel gauge that shows remaining charge. Because the miles-left
gauge is what people are going to rely on, it should be more prominent."

I don't understand what the author meant by "On the highway, you need to be
in D to stand any chance of changing lanes" as peak power is the same in all
three driving modes. The i-MiEV has yet to fail me in getting up to speed
for California freeway merging or, for that matter, staying with the
greater-than-speed-limit traffic.

I'm constantly irked by references to the optional (and expensive)
multi-media and navigation package - while nice to have (especially for the
backup camera), we're talking about an every-day commuter and family
workhorse typically used for trips of less than an hour. A sentence such as
"Without the nav package, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is lacking in technology
beyond the heated seats." means the author didn't explore, for example, the
Active Stability Control System limits nor give credit to the battery
management system, smooth motor control, and seamless regen/braking
integration (to name a few).

I'm afraid I was especially irked by the author's conslusions: "The
Mitsubishi i-MiEV feels too unsubstantial as a car to be a viable choice as
an electric vehicle. It has a cramped interior, an awkward design, and a
power deficit not overcome by instant torque." Wow - here's my counter:

CRAMPED INTERIOR
The interior is anything but cramped, especially for a small vehicle. Get
onto Edmunds.com and compare interior dimensions and you'll be surprised. My
6'-3" son has no trouble fitting inside this car with room to spare above
his head, and ingress/egress is especially easy compared with most other
cars. With the back seats down, the storage volume available is twice that
of, for example, the Leaf, and the i-MiEV has a continuous FLAT FLOOR and
not humps back there.

AWKWARD DESIGN
Duh, it's a very practical and utilitarian tall hatchback - a modern
functional "station wagon" with a token attempt at aerodynamics with its
slightly elongated snout. Beauty and style are in the eye of the beholder.

POWER DEFICIT NOT OVERCOME BY INSTANT TORQUE
The i-MiEV is a torquey EV that reminds me how unresponsive ICE vehicles are
every time I drive one. With a top speed of over 80mph (governed) what
"power deficit" is the author talking about?

Although the author gives it credit for being inexpensive, I contend that
the i-MiEV's attributes make it a viable and preferable everyday utilitarian
vehicle even when price is not the primary parameter.

Sadly, the author failed to mention many of the car's attributes: the usual
EV silence, a turning radius bested only by a London

Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[dovepa via EV]

I love my i-MiEV. I too drive 20 miles to work 40 mile round trip. I've had the 
car 7 months. Only twice did I get close to empty in my commute. Once 59 miles 
and once 64 miles. The i-MiEV has the best battery chemistry IMO. GS YUASA 
LEV50. 
It has plenty of room and more power than most of the gasoline vehicles on the 
road. From a red light one can blow most vehicles away with acceleration. 
On the highway most EVS are at the end of the torque band but this vehicle 
never made me feel overpowered even at 70mph trying to pass.




Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone Original message 
From: brucedp5 via EV  Date: 10/21/2015  5:04 AM  
(GMT-06:00) To: ev@lists.evdl.org Subject: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s 
lowest cost EV, for a reason 


http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/10/16/mitsubishi-miev-america-lowest-cost-electric-for-reason/vl7y92uWJVpjEgPrKPHJcO/story.html
Mitsubishi i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost electric, for a reason
October 17, 2015  Keith Griffin

[images  / Wieck
http://p.o0bc.com/rf/image_700w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/15/Boston.com/BCOM/Images/10.17.2016_Mitsubishi_iMiEV.jpg
2014 i-MiEV Silver

http://p.o0bc.com/rf/image_700w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/15/Boston.com/BCOM/Images/10.17.2014_Mitsubishi_iMiEV_Interior.jpg
]

You get what you pay for.

On a stand-alone basis, one could tolerate the 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV. With
nothing to compare it to, it’s not a bad little car and there is the added
appeal that it runs on electricity.

That was the case when it was introduced in 2012. Its only competition was
the Nissan Leaf, but so much has changed in the electric vehicle universe
since then. Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has stood still and is
being outpaced by the competition.

Mitsubishi points out the i-MiEV is the least expensive electric vehicle on
the road with a starting price of $22,995 (before an $850 destination
charge). The company also cites the $7,500 federal tax credit. Massachusetts
has a $2,500 rebate available. You need to talk to a tax professional,
though, to understand how the tax credit and rebate work.

It’s the price of the batteries that turn what is basically a $12,000
vehicle into one with a price tag of $23,000. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV just
feels cheap with doors that seem to have the heft of cat food cans and an
interior filled with hard plastic surfaces. Mitsubishi might have been smart
to not seek the “lowest priced EV” title and instead funneled additional
upscale materials into this car even if it meant a higher MSRP.

Other sedans like the electric Ford Focus, Volkswagen eGolf, and the Nissan
Leaf cost more yet are substantially nicer inside. They also get additional
range, which justifies their higher prices.

For those interested in the numbers, the lithium-ion main drive battery pack
consists of 88 individual battery cells. Its total energy storage capacity
is 16 kWh. The EPA says it has a range of 62 miles. In my week with the car,
the meter consistently showed 72 miles and I observed mile-per-mile equal to
the meter.

My wife drove the Mitsubishi to work and back, a distance of about 46 miles
round trip. It went out with a full charge and came back with about 27 miles
left. She sacrificed air conditioning only because we weren’t sure if she
could use it and make it home. It turned out to be an unjustified concern.

Charging was at first confusing because the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has ports on
both sides of the car. One side is for the more traditional charging offered
at a home through either your standard household outlet or a more powerful
home charging station. The other is for high-speed charging.

The standard outlet will bring the car to full charge in 14 hours, but you
would have to be way down in juice to need that long. A Level 2 charging
station will get the job done in 7 hours. A high-speed charger can bring the
i-MiEV up to 80 percent charge in less than 30 minutes.

Once on the road, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV drives pleasantly enough. It has
three drive modes. D provides the highest performance. Eco gets you the most
bang for your charge while B helps you recharge your batteries through
regenerative braking. B is best used when you are braking frequently. On the
highway, you need to be in D to stand any chance of changing lanes. The 0-60
time for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is in the 13-15 second range.

As mentioned, the interior of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV leaves a lot to be
desired but is not without some redeeming touches. The diamond patterned
seats are nice looking and the center stack is easy to use. The HVAC vents
and door handles are well designed.

One flaw is the instrument gauges. Too much space is devoted to a faux fuel
gauge that shows remaining charge. Because the miles-left gauge is what
people are going to rely on, it should be more prominent.

The model we drove had the optional navigation package for $2,000. It
includes a seven-inch screen and navigation package, hands-free link s

Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[Mark Abramowitz via EV]

Wow, I read the review very differently. I saw no negativity on anything 
related to it being an EV.

The reviewer just thought it was cheaply made throughout.



Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 21, 2015, at 6:15 AM, EVDL Administrator via EV  
> wrote:
> 
>> On 21 Oct 2015 at 3:04, brucedp5 via EV wrote:
>> 
>> In my week with the car, the
>> meter consistently showed 72 miles and I observed mile-per-mile equal to the
>> meter.
> 
> And then the author quickly moves on to bash the car further, instead of 
> noting that range meter accuracy is something of a holy grail among EVs.
> 
>> The 0-60 time for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is in the 13-15 second range. 
> 
> How times change - or is it just perceptions that do?  I remember 1976, when 
> Volkwagen advertisements bragged about the 12-second 0-60 time for their 
> (ICEV) Rabbit.  
> 
> I don't dispute the review overall, but I think it could have been a little 
> more positive.
> 
> David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
> EVDL Administrator
> 
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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[EVDL Administrator via EV]

On 21 Oct 2015 at 3:04, brucedp5 via EV wrote:

>  In my week with the car, the
> meter consistently showed 72 miles and I observed mile-per-mile equal to the
> meter.

And then the author quickly moves on to bash the car further, instead of 
noting that range meter accuracy is something of a holy grail among EVs.

> The 0-60 time for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is in the 13-15 second range. 

How times change - or is it just perceptions that do?  I remember 1976, when 
Volkwagen advertisements bragged about the 12-second 0-60 time for their 
(ICEV) Rabbit.  

I don't dispute the review overall, but I think it could have been a little 
more positive.

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[brucedp5 via EV]

What I think Willie was saying is that the news site (URL) that he mentioned
did not allow comments, nor did I see a way to contact the writer. Some
media outlets shy-away-from/don't want to be bothered with allowing comments
nor responding to the writer.

But there is another way around this besides commenting here on the evdl.org
which is saved on archives that search engines will find. That is to search
using key words from the story's headline. I found one, that Willie could
place his experiences on:

http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/toyota/TB5I8VI6F22DG619T


Since there are going to be copy-cat re-postings of the same copy by other
media outlets calling it their own, Willie could search once a day for a few
days for those, so as to leave his comment on those as well. Use
https://www.google.com/search?q=i-MiEV+America’s+lowest+cost




For EVLN EV-newswire posts use:
http://evdl.org/evln/


{brucedp.150m.com}

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Re: [EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[Willie2 via EV]

On 10/21/2015 05:04 AM, brucedp5 via EV wrote:


http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/10/16/mitsubishi-miev-america-lowest-cost-electric-for-reason/vl7y92uWJVpjEgPrKPHJcO/story.html
Mitsubishi i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost electric, for a reason
October 17, 2015  Keith Griffin
I wish I had found a place to publicly comment on this.  It does a 
horrible disservice to the imiev.  There are probably few people that 
have both a Tesla S and an imiev; I am one.


Yes, the imiev has rather crappy instrumentation.  Though not nearly as 
crappy as a Leaf.  Yes, the range is limited.  Other than those two 
items, I prefer to drive my imiev over the Tesla.  The load capacity is 
about 60% of that of the Tesla.  It is much easier to drive due to the 
smaller size.  It has door handles that work and it has sufficient 
ground clearance.  Two short comings of the Tesla.  I do love both my 
Tesla and my imiev but, if the imiev had a 200 mile range, I probably 
would not have the Tesla.


OTOH, I was very happy with my Leaf for the first 20k miles until Nissan 
refused to fix battery problems.  So far, I have only about 5k miles on 
the imiev and 65k miles on the Tesla.


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[EVDL] EVLN: i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost EV, for a reason

[brucedp5 via EV]

http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/10/16/mitsubishi-miev-america-lowest-cost-electric-for-reason/vl7y92uWJVpjEgPrKPHJcO/story.html
Mitsubishi i-MiEV is America’s lowest cost electric, for a reason
October 17, 2015  Keith Griffin

[images  / Wieck
http://p.o0bc.com/rf/image_700w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/15/Boston.com/BCOM/Images/10.17.2016_Mitsubishi_iMiEV.jpg
2014 i-MiEV Silver

http://p.o0bc.com/rf/image_700w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/15/Boston.com/BCOM/Images/10.17.2014_Mitsubishi_iMiEV_Interior.jpg
]

You get what you pay for.

On a stand-alone basis, one could tolerate the 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV. With
nothing to compare it to, it’s not a bad little car and there is the added
appeal that it runs on electricity.

That was the case when it was introduced in 2012. Its only competition was
the Nissan Leaf, but so much has changed in the electric vehicle universe
since then. Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has stood still and is
being outpaced by the competition.

Mitsubishi points out the i-MiEV is the least expensive electric vehicle on
the road with a starting price of $22,995 (before an $850 destination
charge). The company also cites the $7,500 federal tax credit. Massachusetts
has a $2,500 rebate available. You need to talk to a tax professional,
though, to understand how the tax credit and rebate work.

It’s the price of the batteries that turn what is basically a $12,000
vehicle into one with a price tag of $23,000. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV just
feels cheap with doors that seem to have the heft of cat food cans and an
interior filled with hard plastic surfaces. Mitsubishi might have been smart
to not seek the “lowest priced EV” title and instead funneled additional
upscale materials into this car even if it meant a higher MSRP.

Other sedans like the electric Ford Focus, Volkswagen eGolf, and the Nissan
Leaf cost more yet are substantially nicer inside. They also get additional
range, which justifies their higher prices.

For those interested in the numbers, the lithium-ion main drive battery pack
consists of 88 individual battery cells. Its total energy storage capacity
is 16 kWh. The EPA says it has a range of 62 miles. In my week with the car,
the meter consistently showed 72 miles and I observed mile-per-mile equal to
the meter.

My wife drove the Mitsubishi to work and back, a distance of about 46 miles
round trip. It went out with a full charge and came back with about 27 miles
left. She sacrificed air conditioning only because we weren’t sure if she
could use it and make it home. It turned out to be an unjustified concern.

Charging was at first confusing because the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has ports on
both sides of the car. One side is for the more traditional charging offered
at a home through either your standard household outlet or a more powerful
home charging station. The other is for high-speed charging.

The standard outlet will bring the car to full charge in 14 hours, but you
would have to be way down in juice to need that long. A Level 2 charging
station will get the job done in 7 hours. A high-speed charger can bring the
i-MiEV up to 80 percent charge in less than 30 minutes.

Once on the road, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV drives pleasantly enough. It has
three drive modes. D provides the highest performance. Eco gets you the most
bang for your charge while B helps you recharge your batteries through
regenerative braking. B is best used when you are braking frequently. On the
highway, you need to be in D to stand any chance of changing lanes. The 0-60
time for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is in the 13-15 second range.

As mentioned, the interior of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV leaves a lot to be
desired but is not without some redeeming touches. The diamond patterned
seats are nice looking and the center stack is easy to use. The HVAC vents
and door handles are well designed.

One flaw is the instrument gauges. Too much space is devoted to a faux fuel
gauge that shows remaining charge. Because the miles-left gauge is what
people are going to rely on, it should be more prominent.

The model we drove had the optional navigation package for $2,000. It
includes a seven-inch screen and navigation package, hands-free link system
with Bluetooth, USB, redundant steering wheel controls, and rearview camera
system.

Without the nav package, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is lacking in technology
beyond the heated seats. For conservation reasons, heated seats are a
must-have in any electric vehicle. They help reduce the need for
energy-draining heating that warms the entire cabin, even when the driver is
solo.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, while loaded with airbags, gets only four stars
overall from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Its
side crash rating is three stars. Those scores need to be higher in a
subcompact car.

THE BASICS Price, base (with destination): $23,845. Fuel economy
(equivalent): 126 city/99 highway/112 combined. Drivetrain: Single-speed
transmission electric vehicle. Bod