Friday, December 30, 2011

Got my i


i took delivery of a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiEV on 12/29/2011, an SE model in Cool Silver.
The bubble is a blast to drive. Yes, with only 70 kW at about the same weight as the 170 kW Karmann Eclectric, it doesn't have the same traction issues and uncontrolled acceleration that seem to plague my yellow car, but with user-selectable regen levels, there's a whole new dimension of civilized fun. It appears that in Eco Mode, full power is still available, one must just press the pedal further down, but regen is much more noticeable than in Drive. Downshift into B Mode, and the regen feels like a 5th-to-3rd gearchange in my olde Miata! It regens down to just a few mph, and feathering the brake pedal brings the regen up to max before the friction brakes are engaged. Try as I may, I've been unable to identify the vacuum pump sound, which has been a bane of many conversions. All in all, this promises to be a fun ride, so stay tuned.
-Jay