Driver purchases ‘worst EV in the world’ and is faced with major surprise
He wanted to see if the EV deserved its bad reputation
Electric vehicles are poised to become the future of cars by offering zero-emission transport and drastically reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Tesla undoubtedly led the way in this field, with many other major manufacturers now following suit.
Automated driving technology has also become a reality for several electric vehicle owners. While the technology hasn't been without its issues, Elon Musk continues to make this a priority for Tesla's future.
The EV revolution has even intrigued competitors, as we previously covered when Ford's CEO disassembled a Model 3 and vowed to make major changes to his own company's strategy.
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But stepping away from the impressive side of EVs, one YouTuber decided to buy the 'worst EV in the world' to see if it deserved its bad reputation.
Content creator Rich Rebuilds got his hands on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in his recent video titled: "Everyone Said This EV Was The Worst — So I Bought One".
It wasn't off to a great start, as the i-MiEV Rich purchased was 15 years old and had 72,000 miles on it. After charging the car, Rich and his team hit the road, keeping the AC and lights off to save power.
As the team accelerated from 15mph to 25mph, the car lost a bar of range, forcing them to put it into Turtle Mode. However, things took a drastic turn after only two miles. The car began overheating and losing power, so Rich and his team had to check the manual for help.
Soon after, a dashboard warning light came on, indicating the battery was nearly empty, so they pulled into a dealership to have the car checked out.
Turns out, the battery pack was housed in nothing more than a thin plastic shield with no protective metal plating. The technicians found that the i-MiEV had lost 35 percent of its original battery capacity, reducing its total range to 21 miles.
To make matters worse, the total cost to replace the battery was a whopping $17,000, which is worth more than the car itself.
Meanwhile, viewers in the YouTube comments section found plenty of humour in the situation.
"The video lasted longer than the range," one viewer wrote.
"The seller definitely knew you would never be able to make it back for a refund," another user commented.
"You know a car is bad when you take it to the dealership who made it and they want nothing to do with it and tell you to leave," a third viewer claimed.