Sunday, December 19, 2010

Queensland's RACQ will test the i-MiEV [AU]

Electric car performance tested

An Australian car club will put an electric car through its paces over the next three years to test its real life performance for motorists.

Queensland's RACQ has taken delivery of a Mitsubishi iMiEV, the first mass-produced electric car sold in Australia and will test its reliability, range, power consumption and running costs to see how it compares with hybrid and petrol vehicles.

Research leader Steve Spalding says the car will be used by different people for different reasons from work, shopping and school runs to holiday drives, to see how consumer friendly it is for the average driver.

He says motorists fear getting stuck on the roadside in an electric car and want to know aspects such as how long the battery will last.

The iMiev uses a lithium-ion battery system with a battery range of 140 to 160 kilometres and a top speed of 130 kilometres an hour.

Source: Skynews

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