By her own admission, our Electric Dream winner Jessica O'Brien ranks "below the average for tech-savvy Gen Y's" but her competition entry was bright enough to make her the pick of the finalists.
Jess once thought that a Lamborghini was an Italian meat pasta dish however she's fast learning all about motoring in a high-tech plug-in electric car from Mitsubishi, the i-MiEV. You can read her weekly weblog updates below...
Clever differences
As I was waiting at an intersection yesterday, a little black smart car pulled up next to me. Despite the obviousness that I could have almost fit the car in the seat next to me (if not for the crutches) the owner of the Smart Car leant out the window and gave me a knowing smile.
"We're twins!" she said.
I was immediately confused, she explained that her bite size bandit was a 2004 model and that like my 'Smart Car' it saved her a tonne of cash (which she may have spent on physiotherapy from her bent over driving posture?). It was apparent to me that the only characteristic we shared was a very amateur conception about the vehicles we drive.
Smart cars (pre-2008) and i-MiEV's are both economically efficient and smart has recently introduced an EV. However in the case of this lady and in the case of the many people that ask me how my 'Smart Car' is going, they are not the same vehicle.
Nonetheless I smiled at the 'smart' driver and responded with a diplomatic 'kind of'. As the light flashed green I drove off wondering just how many other people thought I was a smart driver (fabulous irony), and what kind of difference is there between the two?
I mean, don't get me wrong, i-MiEV's are smart (although I'm lost on the logic of having low battery indicated by an orange turtle light?)... But there are some serious differences between pre-electric smart driving and smartly living the electric dream.
As I said, I believe smart cars did not start being manufactured as EV's until 2008. They are certainly efficient petrol vehicles, however for that convenience their size is compromised. Additionally, although Victorian roads do boast the occasional smart car, it's doubtful that these are in fact EV versions (although it won't be long). i-MiEV's on the other hand are completely electric, and space is not compromised (trust me, this blogger has everything and the kitchen sink in her i-MiEV).
What is even better is that i-MiEV's size is deceiving. During the preparation to begin my Electric Dream, I had arranged to fold myself in two to fit in it, only to find I had to move the driver's seat forward because I could barely reach the brake. One of my girlfriends who purchased an actual smart car (and loves it) showed me ways to get creative with my knees and feet to fit... And I am only 5'6". Fortunately for those like me, who travel with crutches and moonboot it tow, the i-MiEV has the same amount of passenger space as any small petrol car, with the car's guts hidden underneath the seat and boot.
But I can see why people may mistake the two cars at a glance. EV's have been around for a very long time but have never managed to break in the mainstream market. Who would expect to see one now?
It may just have taken peak oil (and perhaps petrol companies running out of money to pay off EV companies?), but I think the next few years we'll see an evolution of vehicle selection that is as dramatic, fast-paced and influential as Apple's i-technology.
It is an i-Miev after all...
Jessica's weekly weblogs:
>> Break a leg
>> Taxing conversations
>> Happy six week anniversary
>> Feeding your i-MiEV
>> Electric cars become cool in Europe
>> Just call me Julia
>> Still in a buzz
>> And the winner is...
>> Electric Dream Competition - Introduction
Related reading:
>> Mitsubishi i-MiEV Road Test
>> Mitsubishi i-MiEV joins Carsales fleet
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