Mitsubishi has just announced the price of their catchily-named electric car, the i-MiEV.
Just trips right off the tongue, doesn't it?
Sounds like the left winger on the Russian Olympic hockey team - Evgeni Eyemiev...
$32,998 will buy you the base model, while the loaded version will be $35,998.
But here's the best part - you don't even have to buy one, because if you live in Ontario and your neighbour buys one, YOU get to drive it one quarter of the time, because YOU OWN ONE QUARTER OF THE CAR!
Heck of a deal, right?
You get to drive an electric car seven days out of each month - FOR FREE!!!
Surely that's the only possible interpretation one can make of the Ontario government's decision to subsidize your neighbour's purchase of an i-MiEV to the tune of EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YOUR tax dollars!
I can't be mistaken about this, can I? There's surely no other conclusion you can draw.
YOU paid for it, YOU get to drive it!
Share-a-car, taken to a new level.
What's more, if you play your cards right, and some of your neighbours buy a Chevrolet Volt or a Nissan Leaf which also qualify for these subsidies, all you need to do is work out a schedule with those neighbours and you can drive an electric car FOR FREE ALL YEAR ROUND!
I'm not sure why the Ontario government is doing this. Quebec is doing it too - maybe we're just trying to keep up with the Bouchards?
I mean, there's zero gains to be made, environmentally or any other way, from electric cars. If we all started driving electric cars tomorrow - and with this deal, why would we not?? - 88 percent of greenhouse gas emissions would still be there, according to Environment Canada
And the province of Ontario didn't subsidize my Jetta TDI Wagon, which is far more environmentally-friendly than any electric - no nuclear power plants or coal-burning generating stations needed to power MY car.
But hey - the government sometimes works in mysterious ways. We just have to take advantage of their largesse when we can.
What a great country we live in...
Damn, you're funny. Another added bonus is, when one is driving their free electric vehicle, they'll be able to use the HOV lanes (with or without blow up doll - http://www.insidehalton.com/article/1023716--hov-commuter-blew-it-with-blow-up ) as the electric vehicle qualifies for the 'green' licence plate, which can be used in HOV lanes with only one passenger.
Posted by: Richard | June 11, 2011 at 08:41 AM
The Canadian Lung Association feels that "when you can't breathe, nothing else matters"! Electric cars may emit 88% of the gases of conventional ones but the fumes can be generated in less populated areas than our roads. If expert climate predictions are right then lets steer away from pollution. Dave Suzuki says that "...it's like we're all in a giant car that's heading for a wall but all we can do is argue about who should steer! I've polluted lots but am trying to evolve by doing things like driving smaller cars and switching from gas engine yard tools to manual ones - it's quieter too.
Posted by: RX7heaven | June 11, 2011 at 09:42 AM
So ... will you be testing the Mitsubishi i (as it will be called in North America)? :)
The rebate of $8000 (or $5000-8000, depending on the car) in Ontario is for the first 10,000 buyers as of July 1 last year. Let's assume all 10,000 get $8000 and that there are 13 million taxpayers in Ontario. That would make the cost $6 per taxpayer ... maybe $10-12. How much of a car does that buy?
Posted by: Larry | June 15, 2011 at 04:18 PM
Typical grumpy old man.
You should walk up to a cop car and tell the cop you are going to borrow his car for a day.
Posted by: B_ri | June 17, 2011 at 01:01 PM
So based on this logic, I can tell a cop I can drive his car anytime I want as well. AWESOME!
Posted by: John | June 17, 2011 at 06:52 PM
What would make more sense is for Mitsubishi to just start selling the Colt here already.
Posted by: Larry | August 13, 2011 at 01:44 PM
it's like we're all in a giant car that's heading for a wall but all we can do is argue about who should steer
Posted by: car accident whiplash | April 05, 2012 at 12:45 PM