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"      Initial Report: 2012 Mitsubishi i     Delivered price   $34,765*   Total miles   1503    Maintenance costs to date   $0   Repair costs to date   $0   * Currently, a $7500 federal tax credit is available.      While it may seem silly to some, we have our reasons for requisitioning a battery electric vehicle as a long-term car. With rising gas prices and dense urban environments, an easy-to-park electric car makes sense, on the surface at least\u2014 especially for commuters and city dwellers who live within 20 miles of where they work and play.   Simply put, as electric vehicles are becoming more and more prominent (and available), we wanted to dive deep into electric car driving habits, check out the state of the charging infrastructure and discover any hidden ownership costs. Plus, with Mitsubishi&amp;#039;s i, we have a vehicle that brings the price down into a more attainable range.         2012 Mitsubishi i    Our particular test car is spec&amp;#039;d out as an SE model. Headline features include a 360-watt eight-speaker audio system, a vehicle remote that allows you to start and stop charging and control the HVAC system, 15-in. alloy wheels, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Options-wise, we kept the list brief and added only the Premium Package, which we feel is a must-have and includes the critical DC quick charge CHAdeMO port. (&amp;quot;CHAdeMO,&amp;quot; incidentally, is an abbreviation of &amp;quot;CHArge de MOve&amp;quot;, which is equivalent to &amp;quot;charge for moving,&amp;quot; and is a pun for a Japanese saying that means &amp;quot;Let&amp;#039;s have tea while charging.&amp;quot;) The Premium Package also includes a 40-GB hard-drive-based navigation system, steering-wheel audio controls, backup camera and a battery warming system. This keeps the battery temperature just right when it gets cooler outside.         2012 Mitsubishi i    As for keeping the car &amp;quot;fueled&amp;quot; up, we have a Level 2 (240-volt) SAE J1772 charger at the office, and the car comes with its own Level 1 (120-volt) SAE J1772 charger. The optional CHAdeMO port handles Level 3 charging duty. Operating in DC mode, to eliminate the heat and current restrictions on AC/DC converters that limit from-the-wall charging to Level 1 and 2 status, CHAdeMO can dump from 200\u2013450 volts directly into the battery. Because of this, you can expect charge times to drop from 4\u20138 hours to 20\u201330 minutes (for an 80-percent charge). Conveniently, there&amp;#039;s a CHAdeMO station at Mitsubishi&amp;#039;s North American headquarters about 30 minutes away from the office.         2012 Mitsubishi i    While all this technology is great, the true test of our i will be as an around-town runabout. Due to its rather limited 62-mile range, long distance trips are out of the question, so it&amp;#039;s doubtful we&amp;#039;ll be able to accrue our usual amount of mileage during our year-long stint with the car. But as a city car packed with utility\u2014with its hatchback platform with fold-flat rear seats, a user-friendly navigation system and Bluetooth phone connectivity\u2014we feel this Mitsubishi will find its niche with the staffers...especially as it qualifies for California&amp;#039;s coveted HOV single-occupancy exemption sticker. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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