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Thread: I got to drive an i-MiEV electric car (and a Chevy Bolt, and a Prius Prime plug-in)

  1. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    I wonder if you could survive with one of these cars only charging it on normal household current.
    It's doable with some planning.

    The Prius Prime I had last week has an 8.8 kWh battery - pretty small. Roughly half the size of the iMieV's. I only had access to 110v charging, and it took 5.5 hours from empty, pulling about 12 amps.

    But the thing is, if you're a typical driver, you'll rarely empty the battery of most EV's. The average distance driven daily in the States is something like 29 miles. (The Prius Prime I was driving is EPA rated for 25 miles on the battery... I managed to go 39 before I ran it out of charge.)

    Keep in mind commercial chargers are popping up all over. If you have a situation wher sipping from 110v isn't enough, and you need a drink from a 220v fire hose (or DC fast charger), you can make arrangements.

    I'm sure I'll own one some day. It will be sitting in the garage next to my Viper or Z06.
    That's becoming a pretty common sentiment among gearheads: save the gasoline for the toys! Use the right tool for the job.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Top_Fuel (09-06-2018)

  3. #12
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    ...if you're a typical driver, you'll rarely empty the battery of most EV's.
    I thought I read where it could take a couple of days to charge a Bolt's battery with 110V if it was completely dead. This article I was reading said the same thing you are saying... An electric car is like a cell phone. You just plug it in whenever you're near power to top it off. You never end up running the battery down to 0% in a daily commute situation so it's not a big deal.

    I almost have myself talked into one.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


  4. #13
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    Just don't buy new. Their resale is crap, you can likely save 50% or more buying a 2-year old EV.

    Electric motors produce more torque than gasoline engines. Tesla is already proving that they can be faster. The only thing I'll miss about switching to electric is my manual transmission. But, even that... my big issue with automatic transmissions is that they never shift when YOU want them to. An electric motor doesn't need to shift at all. You'll always have power on-tap when you want it, and it will never try to shift on you in the middle of a turn. Everything negative about an automatic transmission is non-existent with an electric car.

    So, when I have to make the switch to an electric vehicle, I'll miss the manual transmission... but, it will be purely nostalgia. There won't be anything "bad" about the car itself.
    Simplify and add lightness.

  5. #14
    I thought I read where it could take a couple of days to charge a Bolt's battery with 110V if it was completely dead.
    That's actually true about the Bolt or a Tesla (or any EV with a really big and really empty battery) on 110v.

    When I was charging the Prius, I figured I was charging at a rate of about "5 miles per hour" on 110v. (Though it turned out to be closer to "12 km/h / 7 MPH" since I was able to stretch the range with basic eco-driving techniques.) Useful for planning my next trip, if I wanted it to be electric (I did).

    For comparison, a Tesla Supercharger can add up to 200 miles per hour.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  6. #15
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    If we are talking about electric cars, I'd like to bring the German 'Sion' under your attention. Unfortunately it's ugly, and only available in black, but it has a few neat advantages:
    - 250km on a single charge.
    - It's coated with solar panels, which on a good day will add another 30km.
    - Only €20000, including battery.

    A few disadvantages:
    - It's heavy, 1400 to 1600 kg.
    - Only in black.
    - Not yet available. Production starts in 2019

    Another interesting car is the Dutch 'Lightyear'. It's a spinoff of the Stella Vie, which won the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2017 in the Cruiser class. (And not 'just won', it was 2.5 times more efficient as it's runner-up).
    The Lightyear should be able to run 800km on a single charge, and it's panels can add another 70 a day. Unfortunately it will cost six times as much as the Sion (€119000), and it's not available before 2021.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2013 Space Star Cleartec Intense 1.0 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Daox (09-06-2018),Loren (09-06-2018),MetroMPG (09-06-2018)

  8. #16
    Senior Member Subcompact Culture's Avatar
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    I have driven the i-MiEV a few times including a full review in 2012. It's, by far, the most golf-cart like EV that was sold in the U.S. It was brilliant in downtown situations, however. https://www.subcompactculture.com/20...lent-itty.html.

    We also drove the Bolt for a week and very much liked it a lot. http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...t-bolt-lt.html

    I still have not driven the Prius Prime or a new Prius at all. Last one I drove was a Prius c and a Prius v right after they were introduced.

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  10. #17
    Yep, the i-MiEV definitely felt like an "entry level" EV. It also had a very soft suspension... put me in mind of the 2014/15 Mirage in that way.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  11. #18
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    I really liked the i-miev when I drove it. The one complain is the 'ramp up' on the throttle. It does not give you 'full go' when you mash the pedal, it takes a while. Of course, talking with another owner, he said to drive in 'b' mode and it makes it a lot peppier. Other than that, I'd love to have an i-miev.
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


  12. #19
    Throttle ramp could be there to protect the battery from high current demands?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  13. #20
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    So all Bolts are not capable of fast-charging. If you want the ability to fast-charge a Bolt, it must be equipped with a $750 "DC Charge" option from the factory. This is something I didn't know.

    So you need the $750 DC charge option, a $700 Level 2 home charger, and a spare 40 amps of power in your service panel to make it all work. Hmmm...I'm not ready to sell my Mirage just yet.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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