Consumer Reports isn’t happy with the Mitsubishi i and a recent article titled ‘With the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car, range anxiety is included’ paints a sad picture. Consumer Reports comments that the Nissan Leaf is a much better electric vehicle than the Mitsubishi i Miev, stating the i-MiEV is ‘crude and uncomfortable just as a car’.
While testing the Mitsubishi i-Miev since February, they’ve averaged 56 miles per charge in the colder months, with range increasing to around 61 miles with spring time temperatures for an overall average of 59 miles per charge. Mitsubishi claims the range is 80 miles, while the EPA says the range is around 62 miles. The Nissan Leaf they’ve been testing has averaged 75 miles.
On the Mitsubishi i-Miev Forum, some i MiEV owners have been getting over 70 miles with the dash still showing 8 more miles remaining – perhaps the EPA and consumer reports are driving the cars like they’re stolen?
View the Consumer Reports article here
Consumer Reports are not EV friendly when evaluating the vehicles and tend to look at the worst case scenarios, such as is the case with this iMiev review.
Trust the EPA numbers, I find them very reliable for both Gasoline and EV’s. Consumer Reports are IMHO anti-EV.
Driving an EV does require the driver to modify their typical driving habits to get the most from the vehicles. It is possible to leave gas vehicles standing at traffic lights and still get great efficiency, no need to press hard on the accelerator.
The iMiev is a easy and fun vehicle to drive, especially in ‘B’ driving mode when one pedal driving is possible. This makes driving the most efficient due to avoiding the use of friction brakes for all maneuvers except emergencies and parking.
The CR report doesn’t say, but I bet they never got out of D mode or even understand the benefit of B mode.