3-best-things-about-my-mitsubishi-electric-car

3 Best Things About My Mitsubishi Electric Car

Have you ever thought about an electric car? We saw one on a car lot for sale and I was intrigued. I researched all of the information I could find. I checked what our insurance rates would be for this vehicle. We drove it around and I could handle it easily. I had been without a second vehicle and I hated not being able to come and go when I wanted. I just cannot drive my husband’s Ford F150 “Bus.”

It was spring of 2015 and I purchased a Mitsubishi electric car. My particular model is a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiEV. I love it! And I am about to tell you all the reasons why. There are some drawbacks but I think these are far outweighed by the advantages. I cannot offer all the specs because I don’t understand when the car people start talking torque, etc. These are just my opinions of my car. ( See more posts about saving money & budgeting.)

3-best-things-about-my-mitsubishi-electric-car-miev
The dashboard display shows miles still able to drive on the right, and the status of your charge on the left.

First of all, the MiEV is not our primary means of transportation and I don’t think you can really plan on purchasing it as one. It’s actually a secondary car…I guess I should clarify that it is secondary to my husband’s Ford F150. We use the Ford if we are going a long distance. We are both retired and don’t commute to and from work. But if I did still work, I could do it since my work was only about ten miles away. No problem at all making that kind of trip repeatedly.

Reasons I Love My Mitsubishi Electric Car

It saves so much money!

Of course, I buy no gasoline for it. No oil changes. No tune-ups for new spark plugs, no mufflers etc. It is totally electric and plugs into a regular outlet in the wall of the garage.  There is an additional charger available for 240v quick-charge setup. To use a quick-charge setup, you would need to install a dedicated outlet for 220-240v (whatever it takes) in your home. The unit itself is from $500-700 plus installation of the outlet which may double the cost.

3-best-things-about-my-mitsubishi-electric-car-the-fill-up

Well, I am frugal and I just plug mine into a regular outlet and I have never had a problem. My husband was able to install that himself on a dedicated circuit in a spot convenient to my car’s receptacle. When the charge gets low, I plug it in overnight. Next morning, I have a full “tank.”

Did it increase our electric bill?  Surprisingly, no!  We have an all-electric home and are on level billing. I am not sure that is available everywhere, but we pay a set fee each month.  Our electric supplier, Dayton Power & Light, offers this as an easy way to plan your budget for your power. Your total  usage for the whole year is calculated and divided by twelve so that you pay a set amount every month instead of the actual usage charge. Each month you see what is charged and whether you are running a credit or a balance.

catch-up-bill-from-dpl1

I bought the Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle in March of 2015. Our catch-up month is in September and that first year we dropped from $203 per month to $194. We have received our catch-up for this year. We owed $0 for September and we  will be dropping  again! We had nothing due and were running a credit of $180. I feel like I drive for free!

mitsubishi-electric-car

Handling the Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle

This MiEV can turn on a dime. If you have ever used a very small car, you know the advantages of that. I can get into parking spots easily and even make a U-turn in the middle of the lot if I pass one by. No kidding. I feel like I have an advantage over other drivers….which I do.

I can park easily in smaller spots that I wouldn’t attempt in my husband’s “Monster” Ford F150.

This Mitsubishi electric vehicle is so quiet. It almost runs silently. So driving it does turn heads. At a stop light, you are silent and hear the sounds of nature. Or the hum of the engines around you.

It fits in the garage so well and I have a lot of room all around it. That’s nice because I have a lot a competition in the garage for space.

Just How “Green” is The Electric Vehicle?

In my opinion, any electric vehicle is better than a gasoline vehicle.  It is just how it is.  These will be the cars of the future as methods are developed to make the batteries hold charges longer and to allow more room inside the vehicle. The Mitsubishi MiEV that I have is a four-passenger car. My husband and I are not tall people so it is more comfortable for us than it might be for a taller couple.

My son is over six feet and he is not impressed. Long legs are just not a great fit for this vehicle.

I am doing my part in eliminating noise pollution, right?  And I am sure that the local air quality is better since I am not contributing another internal combustion engine to add to the pollution.  As these vehicles evolve, I am sure that there will be even more reduction in carbon emissions .

I feel that I am helping the environment using a totally electric vehicle. There are arguments for and against this question and your location/country where you use  the EV comes into play. But here in Ohio, I think I am contributing to a better future for generations to come. Our power company, DP&L, generates electricity from coal mostly but also solar power. As time passes and DP&L  leans more on its solar-generated sources,  the overall emissions  will be even further reduced.  Reference: Bloomberg.com  http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1517971

ev-charging-station1
I didn’t take a photo of the charging station. This is one from Pixabay.

Charging Stations – More Coming

There are electric car-charging stations out there and you may go past one and not even know it. Just close to me near a Panera Bread Restaurant there’s one. I even have one at my old work place at the MetLife offices in Miamisburg. There’s a charging station in front of our Target store so that you can charge while you shop.  Whole Foods has several in its parking lot right in front!

A sign of the future of Electric Vehicles?  I think so.

Give them a chance and you may be hooked. At least test drive one and see what you think. Perhaps a hybrid would meet your needs. But I am content with my all electric car!

UPDATE ON My Mitsubishi Electric Car Oct 2017

Once again, we have our level billing from the power company. You guessed it. $0 due in September and $12 due for October and they have again reduced our level billing. This time we are at $144 per month!  Remember, I am a total electric home. Both heating and cooling are on a heat pump. No natural gas is even piped into the house at all. It has always been full electric.

Never fear your electric bill will skyrocket just because of an electric car. They are the wave of the future. Did you see the announcement from GM that they are “believing in an all electric future.”  I think a lot of the manufacturers will be making these same considerations worldwide. There is a market out there!  Volvo has made a similar announcement.

As these manufacturers develop new ideas and versions, I am sure the range will be lengthened considerably. These are great cars! I cannot sing the praises any louder. Have you had any experience with an electric car?

4 Comments

  1. I want one! I can certainly see why you love it.

  2. Hey Kim,
    Enjoyed your post. I have talked to hubby before about getting an electric car, but he is a naysayer…LOL. But don’t we all like the idea of saving money & gas?? I sure do! I think I’m going to “work on him again”.

    1. Thanks, and you keep working on him. I am sure the newer ones are even better and more efficient than mine. I love it. But be ready for every shopping trip to be a visit with the people in the lot who are curious and want to ask questions about your car. It is an attention getter!

Leave a Reply to Kim Smith Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.