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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. #1

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

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    An acquaintance of mine bought this car. ^

    I went by his local business to ask him how he liked it and he said, "let's go for a drive!" He let me drive it too.

    It was cool to drive, and it's pretty efficient. I love how quiet it is -- makes for very relaxed "motoring". But it's pretty basic inside, and not a rocketship like some other electric cars (GM Bolt, any Tesla).

    The official EV range is 62 miles / 100 kilometers. In summer weather, with the windows down instead of AC on, it's easy to beat this by a pretty wide margin.

    Probably my biggest complaint about the car is that it didn't have a "fuel economy" gauge. In other words, there's nothing in it like the Mirage's "A" and "B" resettable MPG gauges. Feedback is critical for making efficient driving into a game against myself. I want to know how well I'm doing before my next fill-up or plug-in.

    I love the car's looks. It's got a funky alien space pod thing going on. nobody really has any idea what it is, since so few have been sold in North America. I've seen more Lamborghinis (2) than iMievs (1) around here this summer!

    ===

    This has been the summer of EV's for me: I've also had a chance to drive:

    2018 Chevy Bolt...


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    The Bolt EV has a combined EPA-rated range of 238 mi (383 km).

    It's much more up-scale than the iMiEV, and goes like snot! It was something else to hit the accelerator at ~25 mph and hear the front tires start to lose traction.

    2018 Prius Prime...

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    A friend bought this one recently, and I just spent a week driving it while she was away -- "The owner's manual is in the glove box!" she said. "Figure it out and teach me all about it when I get back." Well, twist my rubber arm!

    It's a plug-in hybrid: it has a 25 mile / 40 km electric range, and then it reverts to working as a normal Prius hybrid, running on gasoline.

    I didn't use any gas during the week I had it -- was able to get 63 km (39 miles) out of it on my first charge, just by using basic eco-driving techniques and with the windows down instead of using the A/C.


        __________________________________________

        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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    blownb310 (09-30-2018)

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    Senior Member timw4mail's Avatar
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    So, the iMiev has a similar range to the latest Smart cars?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)


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    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    The age of electric cars that we've been dreading for so long isn't going to be so bad. Once we figure out how to power them effectively, we'll be in good shape.

    I think the only EV I've driven was a Volt. Much like the Bolt, it's got pretty impressive acceleration. Very competent car.

    It wasn't much more than 10 years ago that if you wanted an electric car, you were looking at making or buying a conversion. Top speed would typically be 45-50 mph, and range better than 40 miles was considered exceptional. Technology is devoloping quickly.
    Simplify and add lightness.

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    Senior Member timw4mail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    The age of electric cars that we've been dreading for so long isn't going to be so bad. Once we figure out how to power them effectively, we'll be in good shape.

    I think the only EV I've driven was a Volt. Much like the Bolt, it's got pretty impressive acceleration. Very competent car.

    It wasn't much more than 10 years ago that if you wanted an electric car, you were looking at making or buying a conversion. Top speed would typically be 45-50 mph, and range better than 40 miles was considered exceptional. Technology is devloping quickly.
    I still don't see electric vehicles being practical until you can quickly recharge them. Gas/diesel vehicles still have the advantage in that regard.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)


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    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    Right. That's why I said this:

    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    Once we figure out how to power them effectively, we'll be in good shape.
    Fossil fuels are still finite. This is something that MUST happen. I'm glad to see the problem is being addressed. We'll get there.
    Simplify and add lightness.

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    Where's the leak ma'am? Marklovski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by timw4mail View Post
    I still don't see electric vehicles being practical until you can quickly recharge them. Gas/diesel vehicles still have the advantage in that regard.
    The problem right now is they are still impractical and expensive even with those large 'discounts' which are paid with tax payer money. Once electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells get the tech right then it'll be better for recreational petrol/diesel cars (including camping trips, racing, etc). Petrol prices might drop due to lower demand.

    However, electric cars are still like any electric gadget. They depreciate hard. So we'd have to wait until an electric car is good enough to keep for 20 years then recycle. Possibly 2-4 battery swaps in that time.
    Fuel Log: Good enough
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    timw4mail (09-05-2018)

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    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    Tax incentives and such helped drive consumer demand. Consumer demand helped get the corporate world interested in pursuing the technology. It's a vicious cycle.
    Simplify and add lightness.

  12. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Marklovski View Post
    However, electric cars are still like any electric gadget. They depreciate hard.
    Yup. They're fantastic used car buys if they fit your driving patterns. An EV is a no-brainer for 2-car families where one car is used as a commuter. I know of people buying used ones to commute in, and the cost savings vs. gas pays for them. (Depending on what car they're replacing, of course.)

    So we'd have to wait until an electric car is good enough to keep for 20 years then recycle. Possibly 2-4 battery swaps in that time.
    Batteries from OEM EV's are typically warranted for 8 years (some with unlimited mileage). They're more than likely to last the lifetime of the cars in most cases.

    And the truth is, they're awesome to drive. The instant torque is very fun and addictive (going to spend your gas savings on tires if you're not disciplined). The quiet/vibration-free/shift-free driving can be very relaxing.

        __________________________________________

        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. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by timw4mail View Post
    I still don't see electric vehicles being practical until you can quickly recharge them. Gas/diesel vehicles still have the advantage in that regard.
    Tesla has that pretty well figured out with their Supercharger network. That was a smart move.

    In the case of multi-car families, charging the commuter-EV overnight at home when electricity is cheap is practical enough.

        __________________________________________

        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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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    I can see the usefulness of an electric car for my daily commute. The Bolt seems to be very Tesla-like (long range and amazing acceleration)...for about $30,000 after incentives. That's not enough to get me in one...yet...but they are getting close!

    I'd rather deal with an all electric vehicle over a hybrid. Seems to me the all-electric vehicle would be less complicated. I can't get too excited about owning either one once it's out of warranty. I guess that fear will fade as they become more commonplace.

    The one thing I rarely hear people discuss is the high-voltage rapid charging station you need to install at your house to quickly recharge one of these vehicles. You need a spare 60+ amps of power in your service panel to do so. I'm not sure the average home in the US has anywhere near that capacity of free space. I wonder if you could survive with one of these cars only charging it on normal household current.

    I'm sure I'll own one some day. It will be sitting in the garage next to my Viper or Z06.


        __________________________________________

        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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