Considering/buying a 2012 with less than 2K

[blackheart]

JoeS: I will be sending my EVSE to EVSEupgrade so I can do level 2 at the house and the 120v will charge at 12 amps instead of 8.
Phximiev: I have already been told by the powers that be I can plug in on the rare occasion but not daily.
JoeS: I had the heater on only intermittently. But I did probably have it on more than I should have.
Like other, defrosting the windshield I think will be my biggest hurdle. The wifey likes the pick up and go in town and she understands that I will be pushing the little car to the limits daily with my commute.
The harsh thing with my commute is that it is literally all highway. 14 of 16 miles is interstate - literally into another state - across a two plus mile long bridge that goes uphill the whole way going to work. But for a majority of my daily commutes this car should do just fine. Winter time may be more difficult, but I am sure I will figure it out ;-)

 

[wmcbrine]

Phximiev: I have already been told by the powers that be I can plug in on the rare occasion but not daily.

That's rather petty of them, IMHO. You'd have a hard time using a dollar's worth of their electricity in a workday. But maybe they don't realize that?

 

[JoeS]

34miles (55km) is not pushing the car's limits at all, even with the heater on. Learn to restrain yourself on the Interstate and stick to 60mph in the right lane as, by far, speed is your greatest range-robber. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find your 34-mile commute a piece of cake on a single charge. The difference in speed loses you less than 2-1/2 minutes (one red traffic light?), but gains you ten miles!
Ref: http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=17565#p17565

 

[Phximiev]

Perhaps you can pay your employer for what you use? You'd have to measure it, I suppose, and take an average.

$.50 to $.75 per day or so?

 

[blackheart]

Phximiev: I have already been told by the powers that be I can plug in on the rare occasion but not daily.

That's rather petty of them, IMHO. You'd have a hard time using a dollar's worth of their electricity in a workday. But maybe they don't realize that?

I think it is more of "If we let you then we would need to let everyone...". They don't even realize what the true cost is. It will come around. I wasn't the first person to drive a PEV to work. There was one other, worked in the shop and had access to their 240v. He leased a leaf about one year before he retired. He had a 50 mile one way commute. But it was on a rural two lane highway up the gorge. He lived next to where they made the electricity ;-)
And 34 miles only covers my drive to work and back to the house. Then there are the daily errands and picking up the wife from her work downtown (she rides her bike in to work and rides it all day for her job - she doesn't need to ride home...). So in all told, it would probably be 50 miles a day. No issue in the summer time - I will have to figure out how to stay warm in the winter time...
And with only having the level 1 charger - and only being at the house about 11 hours a day - I will only be able to drive it every other day. But that is why I have the Rad Rover...
In about a week, I will send my EVSE off to get it's upgrade, then I can charge the car complete overnight. And then in about 2-3 weeks, when I get the 240v plug installed - it will really become the daily beast of burden. All without sending any more money overseas - just to my local electricity supplier. My way of shopping local - even if the little jellybean was made overseas ;-)

 

[ed5000]

Blackheart, I also have a 34 mile commute and right now I'm coming home with 8 bars (half "tank") of fuel remaining. That is with using lights and some heat in the morning on a hilly, fast moving 13 mile stretch of freeway. I keep it at around 60 mph in the slow lanes but I sometimes zoom around in the city :mrgreen: . I'm in Northern California but as it warms up where you are you should have plenty of battery for you and the Mrs.

 

[sandange]

No issue in the summer time - I will have to figure out how to stay warm in the winter time....
In about a week, I will send my EVSE off to get it's upgrade, then I can charge the car complete overnight. And then in about 2-3 weeks, when I get the 240v plug installed - it will really become the daily beast of burden. ;-)

This will make all the difference and will greatly help with preheating the car before you leave for work in the morning.

For cold weather -there's also the option some of us have made here -
to add a diesel cabin heater Posting
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1248&start=190

Here is a great set of videos on this subject if you're interested for next winter
http://300mpg.org/imiev-heater-installation/

 

[blackheart]

Thanks! It doesn't get too cold here and I am not in the car for long. When I get the remote - the dealer will be sending it to me - I will try the pre-heater - that may be enough

 

[blackheart]

haha - For the experienced, I am sure that this is no surprise.
I have now been driving the little car we call 'Jack' (from his license plate) for less than a week. With my level 1 charger at 8 amps, I have only gotten a full charge one night (when the 'charge' light was off on my EVSE).
Most mornings, I start Jack and I show 55 miles, or 58 miles. This morning, there was 16 bars, the EVSE still said charging and the RR gauge said 50 miles. Still enough, so I headed out.
I hit the heater on a lower setting and a low setting on the fan, just to keep the windshield clear. With those items on, the RR went to 44 miles - as soon as I left the drive.
About a mile away, I hit the free way. I have taken some folks advice that since I am new to the EV driving thing, I should put it in 'Eco' mode and keep it to 60 mph. About 5 miles into the drive, I turned off the heater and fan.
So here is the funny thing. I left the house with 50 miles on the RR. I showed up at work 16 miles later - - - with 48 miles on the RR. Can you more experienced Imievers 'splain to me how that works? Does it re-calibrate from recent driving styles? B/c last night I left work late to meet another electrician and BURNED the battery up driving 70+mph all the way home (hence, not getting a 'full' overnight charge).
Can you enlighten me? Thanks to all!!!

 

[PV1]

Because you leadfooted the night before, your RR was lower the next morning, but the more efficient driving done in the morning showed less energy consumption over the previous 15 miles. There have been times I've driven 10 miles to work and only use 2 miles of RR.

The RR gauge continuously updates based on energy consumption over the last 15 miles, as well as items such as heat and AC usage. Turning heat or AC on immediately updates the gauge with an estimated energy usage of the heater or AC. While we aren't certain how this part of the RR gauge is calculated, my theory is that this estimate is over-written with actual consumption as you drive. Obviously, any further adjustments to the settings will update the RR gauge.

So yes, if you drive hard, then start driving efficiently, your RR will tank at first, then start dropping very slowly (or maybe even climbing a few miles) once you start driving efficiently.

 

[jray3]

Exactly-we had a competition for highest RR a while back that could be gamed by rolling down a 15 mile hill (or using a pusher trailer).

 

[blackheart]

So yes, if you drive hard, then start driving efficiently, your RR will tank at first, then start dropping very slowly (or maybe even climbing a few miles) once you start driving efficiently.

Yep - I was seeing the RR increase as I drove mildly over level ground. Interesting learning curve. I used to try and drive more efficiently in my Festiva's, but I still had a large gas tank (8 gallons) and wouldn't immediately see/feel the results. This is much more exciting/challenging.

 

[blackheart]

Just saw one of the only other Imievs in the area - Wish there was an Imiev owners group in the PDX area

 

[blackheart]

Really digging my little 'Jack'. 600 miles - no gas. Yes - learning a lot about my driving habits - trying to squeak out more miles per bar every day - driving without the heather on when I know I could, just to see less bars used at the end of the day
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c61qxanp9uzx110/IMG_20160326_162537866.jpg?dl=0

But now, why couldn't I have found one in blue...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7k3x4a2nb4clixd/2013-i-MiEV-in-ocean-blue.jpg?dl=0
haha - oh well. Still really liking my silent mile killer!!

 

[Don]

There were no USA 2012's in blue, so it wouldn't have done you any good to wait and search. Canada got a few blue ones and then we have them too now in the newer models

Once you understand that the RR meter is displaying a prediction of how far you can go right now, based on a computation using an average of the last 15 miles you traveled, the numbers it shows will begin to make more sense to you - You'll expect the number to change upwards from say 33 miles to 34 when you're regenning down a hill and presto . . . . it will happen. Likewise, when you floor it on the freeway entrance ramp to get up to freeway speed, you won't be surprised to see it lose 2 miles instantly - The previous number was based on 15 miles of slower driving and the burst of energy you used getting up to speed really makes a dent in that. It's telling you if you keep using juice like that, you won't get anywhere near that optimistic number which was based on the slower driving you had done previously. It's a very handy gauge, once you fully understand what it's telling you, but it's only really accurate if your next 15 miles is going to be driven in the same manner as your previous 15 miles

Don

 

[blackheart]

Just saw one of the only other Imievs in the area - Wish there was an Imiev owners group in the PDX area

Correction, there is a white one in the Camas area, a silver one in downtown Portland and my Black Jack in NE Portland.

Anyone else?

 

[jray3]

Just saw one of the only other Imievs in the area - Wish there was an Imiev owners group in the PDX area

Correction, there is a white one in the Camas area, a silver one in downtown Portland and my Black Jack in NE Portland.
Anyone else?

My first car, a silver SE was resold in Portland.

 

[blackheart]

I wonder if its the same car...

 

[Don]

Ugh- no fog lights/or drl's. Is there and oem kit for that?

There was an OEM 'kit' on eBay quite awhile ago for I think $240, which sounds high, but considering what the lights themselves cost, really isn't too bad - When we had a fender bender, the cost for one light was $200

I found the light housings on eBay from a seller in Lithuania for $60 each, without the bulbs. I bought one from them and it looks identical to the 'real thing' - http://www.ebay.com/itm/DRL-FOG-LAMP-2013-RVR-ASX-OUTLANDER-LEAF-PATHFINDER-FORESTER-XV-IMPREZA-CITAN-/231932847276?hash=item36004664ac:g:H6QAAOSw3mpXKW9c&vxp=mtr

Then, there is this kit from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/10-15-Transit-Connect-Wiring-Conversion/dp/B01CZ6NW4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477004733&sr=8-1&keywords=10-15+Ford+Transit+Connect+Fog+Light+Set+w%2F+Wiring+Kit+%26+HID+Conversion+Kit+%28Clear%29
These light housings *will fit* the iMiEV and shouldn't be too hard to wire up. Note for either of the above options is that the mounting ears on the housings are identical to the OEM Mitsu parts, they will still need the OEM Mitsu bracket to be able to mount them to the iMiEV front bumper cover. They will mount directly in other cars, but Mitsu used a little steel bracket that screws to the bumper cover and the fog lights mount to that bracket

Don

 

[PV1]

People were selling the OEM kit on eBay (maybe they still are, I haven't checked). It should also be available from the dealer.