2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE (Garage entry)

[davidricardo86]

Nice!

I miss my little home-built EV. I'm sure you're having a blast with that. It's a totally different driving experience and even though mine was gutless, I always picked it for short trips because it was so smooth & quiet.

Got a picture of your home-built EV?

Oh you bet I'm having a blast! Its like no other car I have ever owned, I like it a lot and its starting to grow on my friends, family and coworkers! I'm kind of an EVangelist of sort in my social circle, slowly they'll see the light! Same as you, I have been picking it for all my commutes lately, its also very comfortable, has navigation, Bluetooth for listening to podcasts and taking phone calls and just gets all kinds of attention from the public. My poor little Echo hasn't been driven in 6 days, basically since the I-MiEV arrived! lol Come winter time, the Echo will go into service full time. I don't want to put my like-new EV through Chicago salty harsh winters.

way to go! i'm looking forward to any reviews that you can give.

I will have to follow up with one then! Thanks!

I am so jealous! I wish I had a one! I love electric cars, maybe in my future I'll be able to get one, I love my Mirage but rather have a EV! I drive over 100 miles twice a week though so the Mirage was a priorety for me. For back and forth to work, grocery store/errands a EV would be an absolute joy.

Ha thanks! You already know how excited and determined I was to get a 2015 Mirage ES with a 5 SMT. Then I stumbled upon the I-MiEV and shortly there after I went for it. My parents, siblings and friends were not thrilled and discouraged me from getting it but now that I have it, they really like it. I love it too, EVs are really cool. The I-MiEV meets all my daily commuting needs and I still come home with more than half a tank left! This first wave of mass produced EVs are good, but the next second wave of EVs can only bring longer range and more refined amenities. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt is suppose to have a range of 200 miles! I really hope Mitsubishi has an ace up its sleeve with the next generation I-MiEV, possibly the CA-MiEV!

Nice David! Please share your thoughts on the car after having it a while.

I will keep you in mind Doax and update this discussion. Its hard not to share! If you're still in the market, I say go for it when you find one you like.

by the time the 10 year warranties are about to expire on our mirages (for those that keep them that long) , EVs should be much more in the sweet spot for range.

I couldn't wait for the next round of EVs, I just had to have one now, while I'm alive and have the opportunity. The range of the i-MiEV is actually very usable as long as it meets your range needs. It fits mine that's for sure and I don't regret the purchase. Just yesterday before I left for work, I unplugged the charging cable and the range remaining meter read 95 miles! I've been 'hypermiling' it using Eco drive mode and regenerative braking whenever possible which has made this possible.

According to some articles I read online, studies show the average American commutes around 40 miles daily. I'll have to dig up the source later. Honestly, I think the I-MiEV would fit most people's daily needs just fine. We tend to want more power, more range, more of everything when we don't even need it! This sort of reminds me of the new Mirage. The Mirage offers a lot yet is 'simple, inexpensive and reliable transportation' yet someone will always say "if it only had this or that then I'd consider it..." With all the satisfied owners on this forum going against the status quo, I feel the same way about current EVs. Some owners use them as their second cars and others have realized, "hey wait a minute, this EV can be my first and only car after all!" In rare cases, they may rent an ICE for long distance travels.

[El Kapitan]

there was a used one at my dealer. i should have asked to drive it. when you have the time, post about how you like the handling, noise, and acceleration.... please....

[debburyl]

I love your car!!!! Very sharp!!!! I set in one the same color when I Bought my Mirage . And I see a few of them around my area. There's a purple one Brand new that has some Fancy Designs on the sides looks really Sharp!!! Let us know how you like it. And that's a nice feeling getting your car off the truck being delivered! Mine I got off the showroom Floor. I loved that

[davidricardo86]

After two months of owning it, daily 25 mile round-trip commutes and over 2,500 electric miles traveled, I could not be any happier with my EV. The choice between a primary EV or another ICE, albeit the very awesome Mirage, was a smart move for me. The operating costs for the Mirage would've cost me more in fuel and maintenance, in comparison to the i-MiEV's charging cost. Oil change and fuel costs add up, not having to do them saves me cash which goes straight towards savings. If I remember correctly, I'm due for a cabin air filter change and I may replace my wiper blades.

Thus far I've experienced a flat tire (which was patched and plugged the next day) and had an alignment performed just to be sure my tires and suspension weren't all jacked up! Glad i did because the alignment was off and I had my buddy align it for me at work. I've been utilizing regenerative braking as much as possible in order to extend the life of the brakes too. I've gone on 40-66.2 miles cruises throughout my city, and just last week I managed to get my first ever "Turtle." That was the closest I've been to a completely depleted battery (scary experience, luckily made it home with nothing on the remaining miles readout)!

I rarely drive my Echo now, and in the past two months I've fueled it up twice, once per month. Amazing. Honestly, the i-MiEV has been so darn practical, inexpensive and a car I actually look forward to driving (2,579 lbs, RWD, Rear Drivetrain, 100% EV, OEM warranty). IMO, this 100%, made in Japan, EV by Mitsubishi is highly underrated, cheap for modern EV standards, and many if not all still with respectable warranty coverage and relatively low mileage.

[alex16]

The MiEV is a amazing car, so cheap for a ev, thanks to the Prius rebuilt batteries are so much cheaper than most people expected them to be, I can't wait to find a beat up MiEV in a 4-5 years with a ton of miles and weak battery for a good price. I see Prius cars going for 3k on Craigslist. The thought of going to and from work without gas is just amazing, not going to a gas station would be amazing. I'm glad you chose the MiEV, the mirage is a excellent car but for city dwellers with a second iCE car they are fantastic.

[davidricardo86]

It is, and its (subjective) good looks gets people interested in it. Some people are genuinely intrigued by it and ask me a question or two. Most want to know about its range, charging times, interior comfort, year released, and whether I feel safe driving in it or not.

I had no idea rebuilt Prius batteries were cheap. Next to an EV, a hybrid I'd want is the Prius (followed by a Mirage for ICE only duty), even an older one with a weak battery I can replace as you researched. Even though I don't need to stop at the gas stations for fuel, I do have to fuel up ICE cars at work almost everyday! lol its a little ironic but its part of what I do there. I'm not paying for gasoline, I'm just being paid to gas up some nice cars. Its just a stepping-stone type job.

The fact that there are no toxic gasses from the lack of tailpipe emissions or petroleum in general makes the i more comfortable for me to own. However, I am keeping an ICE as a second car, for now.

I'd consider myself a city dweller as I do travel through downtown Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods/areas. I happen to live in the town of Cicero, which is the closest town bordering Chicago to the west. Chicago has many EVSEs located throughout the city limits, many within a few miles and a few minutes from me. In my town, the only EVSE available is free and L2! The next town, Berwyn, has at least 3 L2 and 1 L3 DC Quick Charger. The PlugShare app helps you locate the charging stations (EVSE) by cost, network, one can add or edit existing station data and other criteria. Finding a charging station isn't a problem, but charging at home is most convenient and ideal.

[inuvik]

Keep those electrons a flowin'. I too had considered going EV. But here in Oregon it's not the lack of level 2 charging that is the limitation, it's the huge distances from one end of the state to the other. The nearest city of any real size is a 240 mile trip for me. I'm hoping that in 7 or so years when it's time to replace my Mirage advancements in battery technology will have brought EV's up to the range (with affordability) of a ICE car. Great purchase!

[MetroMPG]

davidricardo86, thanks for the update.

I miss my homebuilt EV when I read stories like this, even though it was a crude toy by comparison.

[davidricardo86]

MetroMPG you're a lot more knowledgeable about EVs than I am. That's quite impressive, I'm sure you learned a lot form doing that project but yes it is crude by OEM comparison.


September 19, 2015 Update

I've officially traveled over 5,000 miles since April 10, 2015, that's roughly 1,000 miles per month. I've also traveled longer distances often times taking more than an hour to reach my destination. Long distance driving gets uncomfortable for me so stopping for a stretch would be a good idea. Also, just last week I paid for a DC fast charge for the first time ever. It was 2 am and i needed to get my friend home quick from the north side of Chicago (Rogers Park) all the way to Naperville (1hr 42min, 35mi)! All of my charging has been free in public, and paid for in private or at home. Thanks Plugshare app!

As for financials go, my Outstanding Principal Balance is $9,120.19, next minimum payment has gone down to $137.77, and is Due: 11/11/2015. I've been making $200 payments each month, sometimes twice a month. No issues here.

Tomorrow, Sunday 9/20/15, I will be participating at a National Drive Electric Week event in Naperville, IL. I signed up to demo my i-MiEV for test drives. This is my first EV meet/event so I'm excited to network with people and test drives others' EVs. So far 40 vehicles have been registered.
https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=430

Lastly, I am going upgrade my original L1 EVSE in order to charge a little faster at home. This is by far the least expensive solution for charging at a faster rate.
http://evseupgrade.com/?main_page=in...k3p8fquc1974v1

I'm also considering buying the new ChargePoint Home L2 smart EVSE, very cool!
http://www.chargepoint.com/home/


I found a local dealer selling i-MiEVs, I'd buy another if I had the funds available.



Free L2 EVSE in Greek Town Walgreens just east of the Loop. You can see the Sears ("Willis") Tower in the background.


I still want to buy a new Mirage, maybe I'll wait for the 2017 model!