Fully-charged fun

Silent, vibration-free and quick-of-the mark, the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an experience not to be missed, finds Angela Pisanu

With fuel prices crippling for many, the UK launch of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is timely indeed. It is powered 100 per cent by electricity, meaning it costs just around a penny per mile to run. It’s also extremely green, emitting zero tailpipe carbon emissions when in use.

HOW IT DRIVES
When you turn on the engine, the first thing you notice is how silent it is – there is no noise or vibration and only a bleep lets you know it’s on.

The car is so smooth and quiet that it seems to just glide away effortlessly from stationary. And it’s very quick of the mark; because it’s electric, high torque is delivered even at when pulling off and at low speeds.

It’s incredibly simple to operate, with one peddle to go, and one peddle to stop. It’s great for urban driving, and nips in and out of traffic effortlessly. And while it looks small on the outside, the cabin is surprisingly roomy.

Being an electric vehicle, you might think that you’d have to miss out on certain mod cons, but the i-MiEV has air conditioning, heated seats, electric windows, and so on. You just need to bear in mind that using these devices will use up battery quicker.

HOW FAR CAN IT GO?
A fully charged battery can do up to 93 miles, but this can be affected by factors like outside temperature, how many electrical devices you have on, and how the car is being driven.

The i-MiEV cleverly makes use of regenerative braking so when you release the accelerator pedal and let the car slow down naturally, the deceleration power generates electricity to charge the battery. When you put the gear in ‘B’ this enhances the regenerative function so you get the most out of battery.

The dash has a single dial to show what mode the car is in – when in the green area, you are driving in the most efficient way, when in the blue area, the regenerative function is charging the battery, and when in the white, the car is not being driven efficiently and will be using more battery.

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CHARGING
The i-MiEV is simple to charge. The cable is in the boot and it can be plugged into a standard electric socket. Charging it this way takes seven hours for a full charge, so you could do it overnight.

If you’re out and about, you can charge the car at a public charging bay. At present there are over 250 charging points in london but work has already begun to install another 1,300. When this is achieved by 2013, there will more charging points than petrol stations in London. Many other UK cities are following suit and gaining government funding to install charge points. I’d just advise to do your homework before you set out as most charge points require you to register your car in advance.

COSTS
The car costs just under £29,000. With the £5,000 government subsidy, this brings it down to £24,000. This is expensive but you have to bare in mind the extremely low running costs. For example, If charging at night on an economy electricity tariff, a full charge could cost as little as £1.05. This translates to £135 for 12,000 miles.

There are other financial benefits too. The i-MiEV is free from London’s congestion charge, which could mean a potential saving of more than £2,000 a year. What’s more, some London boroughs offer free parking for electric vehicles, as do cities such as Milton Keynes.
The i-MiEV is also exempt from road tax, and businesses benefit from first year capital allowances and zero benefit in kind tax. So the cost savings soon add up.

CARBON VALUE OF CHARGING
Of course, some might argue that electric vehicles are not truly zero emission as the electricity used to charge the vehicle has a carbon value. But Mitsubishi say that even when you take this into consideration, the i-MiEV emits approximately 30 per cent of the CO2 of a petrol city car. It is therefore green, whatever way you look at it. And as the government has set targets for 15 per cent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020, the i-MiEV can only get greener.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/imiev

FACTS AT A GLANCE
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Engine: Electric
RFL: £0
BIK: 0
Range: 93 miles
CO2: 0g/km (tailpipe)
Charge time: 7 hours
Top speed: 81 mph
Price from: £28,990