We’re at an exciting time in the world of the EV. If the world’s automakers can be believed, electric cars are anything from a few months to a few years away. (Let’s not concentrate on the recent statement that VW’s CEO made, stating that EVs are 15-20 years away. I suspect he didn’t view the film Who Killed The Electric Car? Ah well.)
In the UK things are still moving frustratingly slow, but if the information from my local Mitsubishi dealer can be believed I should be getting a test drive in an iMiev very soon. They should be up for sale, apparently, by year’s end. That’s ahead of what Mitsubishi’s corporate gurus are saying. I hope it’s sooner. I drove a gas version last year and was impressed with it’s handling and size. The only wrong thing was the noise from the small Diesel engine. That’s not going to be an issue with the iMiev of course. If Daryll, the EV Nut‘s little trip in the iMiev is representative of what is to come then we’re in for a treat.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17ydMkyw2Y&hl=en&fs=1]
And then Smart, who have the ED out. Our local Smart dealership is supposedly the service and distribution center for the south-west of England. But at the moment the closest I got to them was being told that yes, they did have a fleet of six out the back and no, I couldn’t go for a test drive in one. Apparently there’s two in Bristol, but incognito. I’m about as close to running into one as I am to meeting the Queen. Not that much. In a few years, if the tests go well, Mercedes Smart should come to market with the Smart ED. Price wise, I’m expecting it to be not that much cheaper than the iMiev. That’s an easy choice then.
Sometimes though, electric cars do get out in the wild. Apparently, the iMiev was out and about in Gloucester. Martin, the owner of the Electrotrabi, snapped a few photos a week or so back while one of the UK registered iMievs was out and about.
Then, one of my former students, Dan, an oboe major at Birmingham Conservertoire, snapped this trio of caged EVs in Birmingham City Centre.
If I’m right, it’s a Smart ED, an iMiev and one I can’t quite figure out. If you can work it out, please let me know.
I just wish these cars weren’t so caged up. They belong on our streets and in our EV charging stations. As we’re getting more charging points we’re going to need some EVs to use them!