Electric Dream: Feeding your i-MiEV

Jessica O'Brien, winner of the carsales.com.au 'Electric Dream' competition, updates us on what it's like living with Mitsubishi's plug-in i-MiEV city car
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The second I saw it, I felt awful.

I rolled out of bed (post snooze button x3) and knew that I had roughly four minutes to shower, five minutes for make up, two minutes for clothes, five minutes for coffee and then eight minutes to drive to the gym and open it by 6AM (or else risk facing the wrath of gym junkies).

I have this schedule down to a tee and there is no room for error. However that morning, as I jumped into my car (the almost finish line of my morning mission) I saw something that truly upset me: a flashing low battery.

It was awful! how did I neglect to feed my electric pet!? I was the worst owner ever and i needed to think quick.

There are a few bottles of juice in the garage?
My car doesn't drink and lives on energy bars.

Maybe I could give it a quick zap?
By the time that's done 30 people have missed their spin class.

Maybe I could pick the car up and run?
Well I can pretty much power steer with my pinkie finger...

Seriously, what to do? The car's range indicator is reading 5km left, and I know it is 3.5km to work and then I need to get home. I panic because I don't even have time to panic, I need to leave now! So in a haze of sleepy deprived dread and Melbourne morning shivers, I decide to ask the impossible of the very hungry MiEV.

A minute later, I was driving very slowly in regenerative (E) gear down the street. Somehow I thought if I drove snail-paced with tensed muscles and a squint on my face, I would preserve battery. I had put all my faith in the hands of the range indicator, hoping it was accurate .

For good measure, I had killed the heater, radio and by the time I had gotten to the 2km point the range boosted to 7km. YES! Heater back on. But a minute later it was back down to 4km, which may not see me home.

I had now fully entered into the phase of being that comes with using an electric car. It's known as range anxiety, and it is worse than an impending low fuel light. While running empty in a petrol vehicle can be nerve-wracking, you at least know that you can run to a petrol station with a can.

Anyway I won't leave you all in suspense, I did complete the round trip on low battery and also learnt a valuable lesson. The range indicator in the car adjusts to how economically the car is been driven, but don't rely on the number being accurate. If the car is flashing 'low battery' charge it ASAP.

Or better yet, don't forget to feed your electric car or it might just leave on the side of the road at 5:45AM.

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