Ask the Car People.SM


Mitsubishi i-MiEV

16 messages,  Last post on Mar 01, 2013 at 4:58 PM

You are in the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Electric Cars, Hatchback

Messages Page 2 of 2

#7 of 16 ...and the beat goes on by henrygiii

Sep 24, 2012 (6:31 pm)

Just passed the 2000 mile mark in my iMiEV. It's running like a champion and, to my surprise, turns a lot of heads.
Last week I pulled into my mechanic's parking lot to show him my new wheels and before I knew it his team of mechanics was out in the parking lot checking it out and asking a barrage of questions.
My guy took it out for what I would characterize as a high speed test run through the country. He was quite taken with the quick pick-up and responsiveness.
After some assurance that I would buy snow tires from him and a brief discussion about his profession's job security, I was back on the road to work.
And, since I know you are all curious, by my math with 2,000 miles now under my belt, I have spent $55 in electricity to travel as compared to what would have been at least $260 in gasoline. I am on track to cut my fuel costs by at least $1,000 per year. And, on top of that, it's fun to drive
I'll take that all day long.
Oh, I almost forgot--it's getting cold at night here now so I've started using my remote to pre-warm the iMiEV before I leave the house in the morning. Nice touch.

#8 of 16 Re: Considering a I-MIEV [henrygiii] by vchiu

Sep 25, 2012 (9:52 am)

Replying to: henrygiii (Aug 24, 2012 7:54 pm)
Thank you
 
We came back too late. All the inventories dedicated to this clearance operation were sold. We were offered another deal at about US$20k but my wife was concerned about the limited range. We decided to drop the project because we never put such an amount of money in a car, especially a second one.
We will probably turn to a small US$4K Renault Twingo. This is regretful because I was very attracted to having an electric car.
 
I guess I will have to wait for the second hand electric car market to mature a bit because all the offers I saw were outrageously expensive

#9 of 16 Re: Considering a I-MIEV [vchiu] by henrygiii

Sep 25, 2012 (4:18 pm)

Replying to: vchiu (Sep 25, 2012 9:52 am)
Well, range issues aside, I would have a hard time myself spending US$20K for a car when I could be mobile at US$4K. Maybe I should come to France next time I am in the market.

#10 of 16 Re: Considering a I-MIEV [henrygiii] by vchiu

Sep 26, 2012 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: henrygiii (Sep 25, 2012 4:18 pm)
I was comparing fresh oranges to dried apples here, because the 4K USD I am mentioning is for a very fair condition second hand Twingo. The new one would easily cost more than USD15K. As there are so many in the second hand market , it is easy to find a fairly priced one. On the contrary, a second hand MIEV just doesn't make sense...
 
Edmunds managed to find a USD 5K Lexus didn't they ? This is the kind of deal i am talking about.

#11 of 16 press request by kirstie_h HOST

Nov 05, 2012 (8:57 am)

EV owners in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, what's your experience been? Please email smaredmunds.com with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience. Please respond by Friday, November 9, 2012.

#12 of 16 Going in the snow by henrygiii

Nov 20, 2012 (6:09 pm)

I know there are people who are wondering how the iMiEV handles in the snow. I recently had a chance to test that out-- although there was a layer of ice that we had to deal with as well.
First, this is a rear wheel drive car and the electric motor is over the rear axle giving it weight and traction.This means it handles like back in the day before front wheel drive was dominant.
In addition, I have consciously chosen not to switch-out the original tires with snow tires. I usually wait one season before I make this investment.
So, with this as background, needless to say it was a tricky drive complete with, not one, but two detours. The car itself is fairly small and light so it does move around in the snow and ice a bit more than a heavier car might. But all in all the iMiEV performed well-- Some slipping and sliding which is to be expected but there was nowhere that I needed to go that the iMiEv couldn't take me.

#13 of 16 How the battery behaves in cold weather by henrygiii

Nov 20, 2012 (6:13 pm)

Now that the cold is here, I am learning how the battery behaves. Each night I plug my iMiEV into a regular 110 volt outlet in my garage. This is the slowest and cheapest charging option and it has been working fine for me because I only use half of my battery each day. But this is changing with the seasons.
As it gets colder, here's what happens: 1) instead of the battery having 72 miles when fully charged, due to the cold it now may have 60 to 65 miles, 2) the charge itself takes longer, 3) use of the heater further drains the battery(more on this separately).
I typically use half of the full charge but now I am using, maybe, 2/3 to 3/4 of the charge. So each night it has to charge a little more due to my usage, while at the same time the charging process itself is slower. So in the morning I may not have recharged the battery 100%. And there may be a cumulative affect during the course of the week. So if I am 10% short on Tuesday morning and each day my drive is identical, on Wednesday I am short 20% and so on.
Fortunately, I don't need the full charge to get to work, and each day is different. So there is some variability that can work for me or against me. I do have other means of transportation to work so it's not the end of the world BUT this phenomenon could be a problem for some people.
FORTUNATELY, the solution is easy-- purchase the 240v charging station. This does not make the added strain on the battery due to the cold go away but it does enable you to get that full charge overnight that you may need each day. I may decide to do this at some point myself.

#14 of 16 How the heating controls work by henrygiii

Nov 20, 2012 (6:15 pm)

There are three controls for the heating/ cooling system:1)the amt of cool or heat you need 2) the fan speed and 3)the direction;i.e, floor, dash, cabin. There is a lot going on with these controls... intricacies I will probably never know.
It's cold here now so I always leave the heat turned up to the max. Unless you actually turn the fan on, leaving it there does no harm-- Nothing happens. I also generally leave the blower direction set at the floor/cabin combo.
And then when I need to heat the cabin, I crank the fan to max. When you turn the fan on to the max, the number of miles you have on your available mileage gauge drops by 10-12 miles immediately. Don't let that scare you because that drain is only real as long as you are using the fan. When you turn the fan back off, the available miles go back up BUT there will be a drain.
If I leave it at the max for 5 minutes, the cabin heats up and the battery loses 2-3 miles. Then, to maintain it, I turn the fan down to three clicks from the off position. Going beyond three clicks seems to begin to drain the battery a bit more. Or I just shut it off and turn it on later if it gets cold again.
But there is one gadget I didn't tell you about yet...there is a heater in the driver's seat. This sounds strange but it actually works on those morning's with a just bit of a chill in the air. It often is enough to make using the heater unnecessary. And I actually leave a pair of gloves in the glove box... have fun!

#15 of 16 MY iMiEV by henrygiii

Feb 28, 2013 (7:52 pm)

OK. So let me tell you about MY iMiEV.
I wanted an all electric car for my daily 36 mile commute to and from work. I did not want a gas-powered car because my feeling was that the EV technology was there; and so it was time to change the game.
I've had my iMiEV now for 8 months and 6,000 miles and couldn't be happier.
-The 60-70 mile range on an overnight charge fills the bill nicely...much more than the 36 miles I drive each day. This gives me some maneuvering room in the event I want to make a side trip or crank up the heat.
-The front seat configuration works for my 5'8" frame and my passenger's 5'10" frame.
-Listening to the XM radio & CD's is fine entertainment for my commute and quite simple to use.
-The two rear seats are folded down pretty much all the time because that opens up a very large cargo space. In a recent move, I easily fit 18 good sized storage boxes in the back.
-My understanding is that because the batteries are spaced-out evenly upon the chassis, they do not infringe on the large amount of space inside the cabin.
-Fun point to know and tell: Mitsubishi has been building and marketing battery powered trucks and cars for well over 20 years; but not in the US. I think they have it pretty well figured out.
-My iMiEv sits up pretty high as compared to other cars, which I like. And the glass gives me even greater visibility all around.
-I commute back and forth to work along the same route I traveled in my pre-iMiEV life...on local roads. I prefer local roads to freeways and so does my iMiEV.
-My iMiEV has a small turning radius which makes it very responsive and easy to park.
-Zero to 45 mph in 9.1 seconds. Pretty quick I must say. And that's in ECO mode.
-Speaking of ECO mode, my iMiEV has three choices depending upon the situation: ECO mode for normal driving. I'm there 98% of the time. Brake mode when you are driving downhill- it recharges the battery for you. Drive mode when you need quicker acceleration- like the on-ramp on the freeway.
Happy electric motoring!

#16 of 16 henrygiii... by iluvmysephia1

Mar 01, 2013 (4:58 pm)

thanks for that review of your new Mitsubishi i-MiEV. I've been following this rig's development for about 3 years and your review is invaluable because it gives an honest, real-world look at the new Japanese all-electric. This is the most useful kind of new car review, really.
 
Sounds like the i-MiEV is a reliable, smart rig from the world's finest automaker, Mitsubishi. Their cars are long-lasting, good-looking and include a 10-year, 100,000 mile Powertrain Warranty.

Messages Page 2 of 2

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement