EVTown

[Phximiev]

EVTOWN: http://www.evtown.org

See also: http://www.normal.org/index.aspx?nid=375

A recent topic on this forum included a video which in part mentioned Normal, IL, which I hadn't heard of before. Discussion of this town appears in other topics on this forum. But since EVTown provided a response (see below) regarding the current number of EVs (not by type tho), and since others beside myself may have never heard of the town, a separate topic is suggested. Mitsubishi appears to have heavily backed the notion.

Question based on the video on the EVTown website: Did they ever receive 1,000 i-Mievs?

In response to the above question, EVTown reports:
_________

Hello!

We are not keeping statistics anymore on EVs in Normal (and vicinity). At our peak, we were around 350. I think that has dropped off a bit, but I still see quite a few on the road.

Sorry not to be more specific!
Mercy

Mercy Davison
Town Planner
100 E. Phoenix Ave.
Normal, IL 61761
(309) 454-9590
__________

See also: http://insideevs.com/video-normal-illinois-is-not-normal-its-ev-town-usa/

There appears to be quite a number of Google hits on the town for those interested in other reads. The town also has a Facebook page.

Per the city site, their population is about 52k, which give .0067 for an EV adoption rate. Wonder how that compares with the national average?

 

[Benjamin Nead]

The phenomenon of Normal, Illinois, becoming "EV Town" and the home of most concentrated population of i-MiEVs in the US can be traced to the fact that Mitsubishi, until mid 2015, had their sole North American manufacturing plant there. It should be noted, though, that they never made i-MiEVs at that plant. All the i-MiEVs, as well as the Peugeot and Citroen variants, are built in Tokyo, Japan.

My "Vanilla Jellybean" started out as one from Normal's local O'Brien Mitsubishi dealership, spending the first 2 years on the road as a leased car in that region. As with many used i-MiEVs that have start out life there, it was sold in auction after coming back to the dealership and eventually ended up elsewhere. Mine made its way to southern California, where I found it.

 

[Phximiev]

How did you find out that info? We'd like to know about ours also.

 

[Benjamin Nead]

The online listings for mine appeared on both Cars-dot-com and Car-Gurus-dot-com. On one of these sites (I forget which one now) was a free CarFax report.
Looks as if you can get one for any car here, although I don't know if it's free or not . . .

https://www.mycarfax.com/?s_id=sem_ggl_001&gclid=CJ-G45Smo80CFYVrfgodrqEMSg&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Don]

Our second one was sold at auction just outside Indianapolis after it's lease was up - Pretty sure it originated in Bloomington-Normal also . . . . and now it lives just outside Biloxi

Don

 

[PV1]

That's cool to hear there are still a decent number of EVs there. I've plotted out a route to drive Bear there for a road trip, but haven't done it yet. I did just put a CB in the car, so...

Also, another way to shed some light on your car's history is to create an account on http://mitsubishicars.com and add your car to the garage. Warranty and service work history can be found in there. That's how I found out that Koorz was originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a dealer demo, then leased until I bought it in January of 2015.

 

[Phximiev]

The myCarFax site shows our car at Cutter Mitsubishi in Hawaii, then at Mark Mitsubishi. The Mitsubishi site shows it at the Mitsubishi dealer in Glendale, CA, then at Mark Mitsubishi. No owners are shown.

Given the low number of miles when we bought it, 2300+, it may have just been a demo/loaner car.

In any event, we are still quite happy with it.

 

[JoeS]

Was very close to Normal IL as last night we stayed in Mattoon IL just 100 miles away on our way west. Was tempted to pop up there, but I don't need any more i-MiEVs. :roll:

 

[Phximiev]

EVTown's Facebook page for those who are interested: https://www.facebook.com/EVTown.org/

 

[Don]

I think it's kinda funny that with the huge concentration of electric vehicles in California, 'EV Town' is in . . . . Illinois!!

We have more than 8,000 antique cars roaming all over town right now - This is the 20th year and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Cars from 41 states, Canada and Australia too!
www.cruisinthecoast.com

Don

 

[Phximiev]

Mercy Davison of EVTown and the i:

https://youtu.be/ZP52ZlrvULo

 

[PV1]

That video's a few years old. Those are imported i-MiEVs, not the NA production models. Plus, it has the usual degrading tone about range and charging that has mostly gone away recently.

I'd still like to drive Bear out there, though it'd take 2-3 weeks to do the trip :lol:.

 

[Phximiev]

Rivian to take over where Mitsubishi left off, but with an electric car?

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/09/rivian-bids-on-shuttered-mitsubishi-plant-in-illinois.html

Wiki: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivian_Automotive

http://rivian.com Not much here.

:?:

 

[Phximiev]

Master of Disguise?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-rivian-mitsubishi-robert-reed-1214-biz-20161214-column.html

 

[Phximiev]

From Mercy Davison:

The Council Report and agreement are at http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2258.

If you’d like to watch the Council meeting, which included some great testimony by the owner of Rivian, go to https://www.youtube.com/user/NormalIllinois and:

https://youtu.be/a40DlSTz79M

The local newspaper has covered this issue. I searched on their website and found this: http://www.pantagraph.com/search/?l=25&sd=desc&s=start_time&f=html&t=article%2Cvideo%2Cyoutube%2Ccollection&app=editorial&q=rivian&nsa=eedition

Enjoy!
Mercy

Mercy Davison
Town Planner
100 E. Phoenix Ave.
Normal, IL 61761
(309) 454-9590

 

[Phximiev]

Rivian closes on the Normal plant: http://www.teslarati.com/rivian-automotive-ev-startup-buys-mitsubishi-plant/?utm_content=bufferc9cad&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Phximiev]

Rivian news:

https://www.facebook.com/normal.org/photos/a.338106886296813.80973.165727506868086/1213144622126364/?type=3&theater

Something is happening...

So what's it look like?

 

[rmay635703]

A car company that only talks about "mobility" is an immediate fail based on an overused buzz word.
You already know what they are hocking by the single word "mobility".

At best it will linger a few years sucking up reservations creating nothing.

Our only hope is they can the mobility crap and MAKE something that would fill an unserved segment of the market, the low end is really ignored for example, but would anyone buy nearer the Elio type of cheap?

 

[Phximiev]

Rivian news:

https://www.facebook.com/normal.org/photos/a.338106886296813.80973.165727506868086/1213144622126364/?type=3&theater

Something is happening...

So what's it look like?

More news on Rivian: http://insideevs.com/ev-startup-rivian-gets-50-million-state-tax-credits-illinois/

 

[Phximiev]

Rivian news:

https://www.facebook.com/normal.org/photos/a.338106886296813.80973.165727506868086/1213144622126364/?type=3&theater

Something is happening...

So what's it look like?

More news on Rivian: http://insideevs.com/ev-startup-rivian-gets-50-million-state-tax-credits-illinois/

Dirty Diesels? http://insideevs.com/rivian-automotives-future-factory-site-full-volkswagens-dirty-diesels-drone-video/