Contents
Welcome! This is a book about one of the most exciting and innovative new cars available today – the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a revolutionary car. It runs on electricity and not fossil fuels. It emits no pollution and travels in silence. In short, it’s a car that rewrites the rulebook. This book is for anyone who is interested in owning a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. If you want to know what these cars are like to own, use and live with on a day to day basis, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been involved in the electric vehicle industry since 2003 and I’ve been using electric cars on a daily basis as my own personal transport since early 2006. My Mitsubishi i-MiEV was one of the very first production models built. I took delivery of my Mitsubishi i-MiEV in December 2009 and it is now our regular family car. I have conducted numerous tests with the car, from formal tests on the environmental benefits of the car, to the simple daily test of seeing how well the car works as a practical family car with my two young children. I’ve also carried out an extensive survey, covering both existing electric car owners and the wider car-owning community, to find out the true story about electric car ownership – the perceptions and the reality. This guide is based on my other electric car book, The Electric Car Guide. I have simplified and updated it specifically for people considering the purchase of a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. By the time you have finished reading this book you’ll understand what it is like to own, use and live with one of these exciting cars on a daily basis. You’ll understand the benefits, the drawbacks and you’ll know whether or not a Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a suitable car for you.
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An introduction to the electric car History of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Living with a Mitsubishi i-MiEV Will i-MiEV work for me? Me and my i-MiEV Purchasing and running costs Electric cars and the environment Real world economy figures A final word Index
12 Poplar Grove, Ryton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire, CV8 3QE United Kingdom www.greenstreampublishing.com Published by Greenstream Publishing 2010 Copyright © Michael Boxwell 2010 ISBN 978-1-907670-02-2 Michael Boxwell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. While we have tried to ensure the accuracy of the contents in this book, the author or publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions found therein. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
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An Introduction to the Electric Car It seems every week electric cars are hitting the headlines. From car makers showing their latest concepts, governments announcing new incentive schemes and announcements of new technology breakthroughs, electric cars appear to be everywhere. Yet when was the last time you saw an electric car on the road? The chances are you may never have seen one at all. Unless you live in the centre of London, Paris or Bangalore, the three ‘electric car capitals’ of the world, electric cars in actual daily use are few and far between. Electric cars are nothing new. The first electric cars were built almost 175 years ago. At the beginning of the 20th Century, electric cars were the best selling cars around. Owners liked them because they were smooth, quiet and easy to drive. They only fell out of favour because internal combustion engine cars became cheaper to buy and fuel became more readily available. With the concern about the environment and dwindling oil supplies, electric cars are now back on the agenda. Auto makers are investing in the new technology and new electric cars are now becoming available. The first of these cars is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Public trials of these cars commenced in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia during 2009 and 2010 and the car went on general sale at the end of 2010.
Why buy an electric car? Buying an electric car isn’t just about the environment, or worries about oil reserves. As early Mitsubishi i-MiEV owners are finding out for themselves, these are great cars to drive. Excellent performance, ultra-smooth power delivery and ease of use give the car some significant benefits. It is no surprise that so many people don’t want to go back to driving an internal combustion engine car after experiencing an electric car.
What is an electric car? An electric car is powered by an electric motor, typically powered using energy stored in a battery. It is charged by plugging into a power socket. I-MiEV does not use a conventional gearbox as the motor has a more flexible power delivery than an internal combustion engine. As a consequence, the cars have very few moving parts. Electrical energy is typically stored in a bank of batteries built into the car. In i-MiEV, these batteries are fitted under the floor, giving the car a low centre of gravity. Charging the car from a 240v domestic socket takes between six and seven hours (12-14 hours in the US on 110v). ‘Fast charging’ through a dedicated high voltage charging station can provide an 80% charge in around 20 minutes.
How i-MiEV compares to a conventional car At the heart of i-MiEV is the electric motor. In terms of construction and power delivery it is almost the complete opposite of an internal combustion engine: Electric Motor 80% plus From Standstill No 3
Average Efficiency Maximum Power Multi-ratio gearbox required Number of moving parts
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Combustion Engine 25-35% At high speed Yes 130+
Because of these different characteristics, driving an electric car does have some differences. In the main, this means that electric cars are a more pleasant driving experience. Maximum power from a standing start means an electric car pulls away smoothly and quickly. You don’t have to rev the engine to pull away. There is no vibration from the motor and they are exceptionally quiet. Because of the power delivery of the electric motor, acceleration is instant whenever you need it. There is no gearbox, so therefore no need to change gears. This makes for an ultra-smooth power delivery, safer overtaking and the confidence that you have plenty of power in reserve. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the motor is used to slow down the car and recharge the batteries at the same time. The result is much smoother and more progressive braking and a smoother transition between accelerating and braking. The car is very easy to drive in heavy stop-start traffic. There is no gearbox or clutch to worry about and the car can crawl along at low speeds very efficiently with minimal effort on the part of the driver. Several people who suffer from travel sickness when travelling in a conventional car tell me they experience no problems when riding in an electric car.
Range Range is always an emotive subject when discussing electric cars. Wherever you go around the world, it is the number one concern that non-electric car owners have about owning an electric car, with the perception that they could never adapt to a car with a range of ‘only’ 80 miles. The reality is very different from the perception. Many electric car owners will actually describe the freedom they feel that every time they go out to their cars in the morning. They know they have enough ‘fuel’ to go wherever they want to without the hassle and cost of visiting the service station. One electric car owner explained it to me like this: “It takes me nine seconds to charge up my electric car. That’s the time it takes to plug the car in when I get home. The next time I need to use the car, it is charged up and ready to go.” The official range of i-MiEV is 80 miles (130km). Realistically, range will vary depending on driving style and conditions. The 80 miles is based on careful driving in reasonable conditions. 4
Race down a motorway at top speed and the range will drop significantly. Drive in extreme cold conditions in the middle of winter and likewise, the range will be lower. According to the UK Department for Transport, the average car journey is 6½ miles (10½km) with 93% of all car journeys being less than 25 miles (40km). In the US, an average American driver travels 29 miles (46½km) per day by car, with an average single journey of around 12 miles (19km). It is interesting to compare the concerns that non-electric car owners have about range with the perceptions that existing electric car owners have about range:
Non-electric car owners perceive that range is going to be a constant issue. They believe that they will be restricted because they cannot simply visit a filling station to refuel their cars. Electric car owners like the fact that every time they go out to use their car it is fully charged up and ready to go. They have enough fuel to go wherever they need to and they’ll never have to visit a filling station ever again.
Of course, range is one of the big differences about owning an electric car and I cover this subject in much greater detail in a later chapter.
Chapter Summary
Electric car ownership is not just about the environment or worries about oil reserves. Electric cars can be fun to drive, with excellent performance, ultra-smooth power delivery and ease of use. Charging time from a 240v domestic power socket takes between six and seven hours. Fast charging through a dedicated high voltage charging station takes around 20 minutes to provide an 80% charge. Thanks to the flexibility of the electric motor, i-MiEV does not need a gearbox. Power delivery is smooth and instant, allowing for safe overtaking and confidence that there is always power in reserve. Range is always seen as a big issue with any electric car. The reality is very different from the perception with many electric car owners appreciating the benefits of recharging a car from home rather than travelling to a service station to refuel.
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History of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Mitsubishi has been working on electric vehicle development since the mid 1990s. The company has demonstrated a number of electric concept cars, including two rally cars and two long distance electric vehicles, capable of travelling hundreds of miles on a single charge. In 2006, Mitsubishi launched the i city car. Originally only available with an internal combustion engine, the car was designed from the outset to be powered by either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. Powered by a rear-mounted 660cc engine through an automatic gearbox, the original Mitsubishi i was an instant success in Japan. In the United Kingdom the annual allocation of cars was sold in the first two months of sales. Reviewers loved the car’s cheeky looks, its ergonomics, its specification and its use of space, but criticised it for its poor transmission and the coarse engine. The long awaited electric version was announced in early 2007. Originally called the i-EV, development cars were given to journalists to try in 2008 and the car went into low volume production in 2009. Initially, trials took place in Japan and the United Kingdom, followed by trials in Hong Kong and Australia in 2010. The car went on general sale at the end of 2010. Compared to the original car, the electric version of the i is a vastly improved vehicle. Gone is the coarse engine and poor transmission. In its place is a smooth powerful electric motor that can accelerate from 0-60 a whole five seconds faster than the original car. The low down weight of the batteries mounted centrally in the car under the floor has also significantly improved ride and handling. The result is a transformation. Whilst the original Mitsubishi i was widely regarded as a good car in its own right, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is without doubt one of the very best small city cars available today. Indeed, the new car is so good Mitsubishi has withdrawn the internal combustion engined i from sale in the UK. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi has been working with other car manufacturers to extend the availability of i-MiEV. Citroen and Peugeot have had a strong relationship with Mitsubishi for a number of years. Both companies have agreed to rebrand i-MiEV and sell it as their own model. Sold as the Citroen CZero and Peugeot iOn, these models have been fine tuned to suit the tastes of Citroen and Peugeot buyers. I-MiEV and its derivatives are the most advanced electric city cars available today. They offer excellent performance, ride and handling and represent the some of the very best vehicles that the electric car industry has to offer. In 2009, Mitsubishi showed a concept sports car based on the i-MiEV base. The i-MiEV Sports Air Concept premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009 and promised a sporty drive with rapid performance. Whilst it is likely to remain only a concept model, it does hint at some interesting possibilities for Mitsubishi and their electric car programme for the not-too-distant future.
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Living with a Mitsubishi i-MiEV The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a practical, five door, four seat city car. It is spacious enough to seat four adults in comfort with enough luggage space for most day to day activities. The car has a high seating position, giving occupants excellent all-round vision. Seats are comfortable and supportive and the controls and switchgear are robust and ergonomically placed. In comparison with other city cars, i-MiEV acquits itself well. Build quality is good, ride is excellent and handling is reasonable. Performance is better than most cars in its class. The smoothness and quietness of the electric drive makes for a very refined driving experience. The car is much more spacious than many of its rivals, in particular offering excellent legroom for both front and rear passengers.
First impressions Most people agree that the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is good looking, distinctive, futuristic and funky. The interior looks smart and the first impressions are of a well built, ultra-modern car. The first time you drive any electric car, it feels very strange. The silence, the smoothness and lack of vibration takes some getting used to. Everyone’s first reaction is always ‘Wow!’ Once you switch on the ignition, there is no noise or vibration to let you know the engine is running. Most people are unsure whether the car is actually ready to pull away or not. As you tentatively put the car into Drive and touch the accelerator, there is a mild sense of shock that the car pulls away virtually silently. It takes a few minutes to get used to the strange sensation of travelling without an engine noise. At speeds below 10mph, the car makes very little noise and as a driver you are aware of that. As the speeds increase, road noise and wind noise now mean that your electric car is making virtually the same amount of noise to the outside world as any other car. Inside the car, the impression is still that the car is exceptionally quiet because you cannot hear an engine, plus the wind and road noise is suppressed by the insulation in the car.
Performance Once you are used to the silence, the lack of vibration and the smoothness of the power delivery, you start noticing other things. You then notice how good low-speed performance is. Most electric cars are usually very quick when pulling away and driving around town can be an enjoyable experience. i-MiEV provides excellent around town performance. Acceleration is faster than most other city cars. The 0-62mph acceleration in i-MiEV is almost a second faster than comparable city cars such as the Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, Toyota Aygo or a Fiat Panda 1.2. At higher speeds, on open road, motorways and dual carriageways, performance remains good. The car comfortably keeps up with traffic with enough acceleration to overtake other cars should you need to.
The Fun factor Most people who have never driven an electric car are quite surprised by how much fun an electric car can be. Thanks to the performance characteristics of the electric motor, i-MiEV feels surprisingly nippy. As the batteries are mounted low down in the chassis, they also have a low centre of gravity, which makes for good handling, balance and ride.
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It may not be a sports-car, but the spritely performance, responsive steering and sharp handling make for an entertaining and enjoyable driving experience.
Braking As with most electric cars, i-MiEV has two braking systems: a ‘regenerative brake’ that uses the momentum of the car to generate power to put back into the batteries, and a standard braking system. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the car slows down and the motor starts recharging the batteries. The regenerative braking slowly fades out as the car slows right down and by the time the car is moving at walking pace, the regenerative braking has cut out. With practice, it is possible to do most of your braking without using the brake pedal. This increases the range of the car by capturing the otherwise wasted momentum of the vehicle. In city driving, regenerative braking can increase the range of the car by as much as 30%.
Range Fixation It isn’t long on your first drive before you become aware of the fuel gauge. In fact, if you’ve never driven an electric car before, the fuel gauge almost always becomes a fixation for the first few weeks. An electric car has a shorter range than a combustion engine car, so the fuel gauge moves quicker than you will first expect. In most combustion engine cars the fuel gauge seems to stay close to full for the first half tank of fuel and then move down quite rapidly afterwards. In any car, once the fuel gauge drops below a quarter, many people start getting ‘range fixation’. They’re on the lookout for a fuel station and starting to worry if they can’t find one on their route. In an electric car, the fuel gauge will start to move after only a few miles of driving. It is a bit disconcerting at first because everyone is so used to the way fuel gauges work in conventional cars. In effect, you are getting the same range fixation as you do when running low on fuel in any other car. Even when you’re driving a short distance and you absolutely know there is enough charge to get to your destination, it is very easy to get fixated on the fuel gauge in the early days. It’s a psychological difference. In reality, you are no more likely to run out of range in an electric car than you are to run out of fuel in a normal car. The best analogy to use is that of a mobile phone. If you plug your phone in overnight to charge it up, it doesn’t let you down. The same is true with an electric car. Once you’ve got more confidence in your electric car and you have used it for a while, your range fixation disappears. In fact, you get to the point where you ignore the fuel gauge completely. After all, if you plug your car in every night and you know that you’ve got enough range to do your daily driving, why bother checking the fuel gauge?
Range Fixation with a brand new electric car The issue of range fixation is worse on a brand new electric car than with a used car. If you have a brand new Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the batteries will need to be used a few times to build up the range. You won’t get your maximum range until the batteries have gone through a few charge-discharge cycles. When the car leaves the showroom, your car may only do around twothirds of its advertised range. If you are not aware of this problem, this compounds the problem of range fixation. It certainly doesn’t do much for confidence in your new car! 10
End of Preview The Electric Car Guide series is a series of books about owning and using electric cars on a day-today basis. Whether you are interested in a specific model of electric car, or want to know more about electric cars in general, there is an Electric Car Guide for you. These books are written, proof-read and edited by people who use electric cars on a day-by-day basis, and who have been doing so for a number of years. The Electric Car Guides are available from Amazon and all good book shops. They are published by Greenstream Publishing. For more information, visit the website
www.TheElectricCarGuide.com
A final word Electric cars are radically different and an exciting new technology that have practical uses in our daily lives and have significant environmental and economic benefits. For many people they are the ideal vehicle, providing quiet, smooth and practical motoring for the new decade. If, through the pages of this book, I’ve encouraged you to go out and try a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, I have achieved what I set out to do. Likewise, if you have read the book and come to the conclusion that an electric car is not suitable for you, this book has also served its purpose. Far better to spend a small amount of money buying a book than spend a lot of money on buying the wrong car. Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this book, or even if you haven’t, feel free to get in touch. If you have questions about electric cars, or suggestions on how I can improve the book, I would be delighted to hear from you. I can be contacted through the ‘Ask me a Question’ page on my website www.OwningElectricCar.com. All the best,
Michael Boxwell December 2010
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