Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Dream: Blog

By her own admission, our Electric Dream winner Jessica O'Brien ranks "below the average for tech-savvy Gen Y's" but her competition entry was bright enough to make her the pick of the finalists. And  she's fast learning all about motoring in a high-tech plug-in electric car from Mitsubishi, the i-MiEV. You can read her latest weblog update below...

i-MiEV uncensored

When one is researching a prospective car, it's pretty easy to Google, say, 'i-MiEV reviews'. More often than not, the top responses will provide such unconditional praise that you'd think it was one side of the debate to legalise EV/human marriage. (If this were to be, the children of course would be like that never-say-die Duracell battery with arms and legs.)

Anyone with half an operating battery upstairs would know that these are paid reviews that are often as concerned with your interests as they are about the validity of ethical reporting. It is often just so difficult to trust some online reviews. However, user reviews from real dummies like me do come in handy in the world wide web of Public Relations. Web 2.0 also means that every citizen is a franchised journalist -- so here my friends are the parts of real EV life that have, well, buzzed me off.

1. Range Reality -- If I was the only commuter on Melbourne roads, (a life without road rage?) I am confident that I could drive the i-MiEV to its advertised range. Unfortunately, I am not a lone ranger at 8am on Kings Way, when my options are car heater or frostbite and loud radio or dozing off.  Due to traffic conditions and use of amenities such as heaters, radios and GPS, I am certain that some people will feel that the i-MiEV range does not live to the advertisements.  For an individual like me, who has bigger things to worry about than strategic brake application, it was realistic to get a maximum of 88km per full charge, unless I had the heat going, which dropped it anywhere from 65-70km.

2. General Appearance -- There was a time and a place for me to get all Mean Girls on the i-MiEV and that was Blog 12. I stand by my opinion that this point is generally irrelevant in terms of what the car can provide functionally. The other day however, a friend of mine pointed out that the car looks like a guinea pig in racing gear. I found this pretty inspired. Perhaps this is because the car measures taller than it does wide.

3. Equally unattractive government subsidies -- I suppose I shouldn't be shocked that the government under-delivered on promises they made but the subsidy for buying the i-MiEV is less attractive than I hoped. Japan boasts a government subsidy that pays the difference between the i-MiEV and a normal-fuel car, whereas Aussies will still be expected to fork out just under $50,000 for the first release. Nonetheless, peace-of-mind can be gained from the low charging and maintenance costs for the car. Anyway, we all know that rapid price drops are an invariable for technologies. Remember when a plasma TV cost $27,000?

4. That orange turtle -- You may have heard that super low battery (i.e your i-MiEV's last breath) is indicated on the dash by a flashing turtle. Firstly, I agree, that makes little sense. Secondly, if it pops out and you are 5km or more from a charging station then you will probably have a more aggravated way to describe it.

Although it's bound to change, right now our roads are not EV friendly. European countries such as France and Netherlands have had a more active approach; installing 'quick charges' (80 per cent in 20min) in fuel stations and on highways (however, it must be noted that much of their electricity is free). This will hopefully be a move that industries and governments in Australia will be making in the near future. However, in my experience, it was essential to get range control down to a fine art.

Because if you run flat, you can't really get your mate to bring a can of electricity can you?  So my back up plan? Let's just say I knew my hitch-hiking etiquette.

Jessica's weekly weblogs:

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