EV Cross Country For The Yearly Price Of Running A Fridge

When Mitsubishi introduced the electric version of its four door Smart for Four as the i MiEV, it raised a lot of eyebrows. And as to the question what does i MiEV mean? The answer is Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. Now you know.

Small, Efficient EV. The idea seemed logical. The light compact car would be a no-brainer for an EV conversion. Fast forward a few years ahead and voila, you have the most affordable EV. Not only is the i MiEV practical but it also takes a stab at the affordability attack by naysayers. The i MiEV comes in shy of $30,000, which after Federal incentives drops down to north of $21,000, upon which other local and state incentives can be added. The car can cost as low as $16,500 in certain parts of California. The car also excels in the energy efficiency department. The Fueleconomy.gov website gives the i MiEV impressive numbers, converted MPG of combined 112 miles, giving it in city driving 126 miles and 99 on Highway. In terms of kW-hrs per 100 miles, which is a more accurate way of calculating its efficiency, the i MiEV gets 30 in a combined cycle, 27 for city and 34 on the highway.

Operating Costs. But we know EVs are a little more than their buying price and other numbers. Where EVs shine are with their minimal operating costs. Running single digit cents for every mile covered, instead of double digits for their gasoline counterparts, tips the balance in favor EVs, especially in urban traffic. Mitsubishi goes a step further by saying you could drive your i MiEV coast to coast for the same money it takes you to run your home fridge a whole year. Now that is a pretty bold claim, certainly no other gasoline carmaker can make.

In the end, having EVs that run the gamut, from high-end with the Tesla Roadster to entry-level with the Mitsubishi i MiEV is what makes this new age of the automobile world fantastic. We have more EV choice than we had a decade ago, and the offering is growing. The last few decades have been, shall we say, oh hum boring when it comes to gasoline cars. Save for a few out of wallet exotics, the daily street car has grown bloated and insipid, giving us a sea of look alike cars on our roads. The negative results is that these cars have successfully drained any driving pleasure. EVs have rekindled a sense of enthusiasm, a renewal for a hopeful future that spells fun driving at an affordable price and very low running, and maintenance fees. And anyway, running a Mitsubishi i MiEV coast to coast for the price of running your fridge is something no gasoline car can claim.