For new EVs, kudos amid the clobbering
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In its review of the Ford Focus Electric and Mitsubishi i-MiEV released last week, Consumer Reports took issue with the Ford's cramped rear seat and frustrating MyFord Touch controls, and a large lithium ion battery pack that consumes much of the car's "modest cargo space."
But overall, it called the Focus Electric "super-efficient and a lot of fun to drive."
How did the smaller i-MiEV fare? It started out pretty good, with a fuel-efficiency rave. The magazine said the i-MiEV squeezed out the equivalent of 111 mpg overall, or 3.28 miles per kWh -- the most energy-efficient car Consumer Reports has tested.
"But in almost every other way, the i-MiEV lives up to the lowest expectations you might have of an electric car," the magazine said in its release. "It's slow, chintzy, cramped, and so far off the mark that testers often felt it was closer to being a glorified golf cart than an actual car."
Ouch.
