Spooky but fun — that’s how we can best describe the feel of driving the i-Miev, Mitsubishi’s latest electric vehicle which we got to drive at their test facility in Okasaki, Japan recently.

The i-Miev or Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, was presented at the MMC booth at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

After a brief tour of MMC’s Research and Development facility, our group proceeded to the two and a half kilometer oval test track to try out the plug-in electric vehicle (EV).

We took turns at trying out the i-Miev. It felt spooky as soon as I stepped on the accelerator pedal. Just imagine, the car accelerating from naught to 60 kph with nary a sound from underneath the hood. It is so quiet the only thing you hear is a high-pitched whine that the electric motors make as it speeds up. Yes, it does feel like a fast pop-car but it sure handles like a real one.

The first part of the test track allowed us to test the car’s acceleration — and boy, were we impressed. All four electric motors fitted in all of its wheels powered up and surprisingly pulled the car with a notable torque. We later found out from the engineers that the i-Miev has more torque than its gasoline-powered version.

The i-Miev also performed well in the oval as we were able to accelerate to 120 kph (maximum speed reported at 130 kph) in just about 12 seconds.

Handling was equally impressive. As light as the car is (only 1080 kg), handling was superb even for its small size. The car handled extremely well even as we took the oval with a 45 degree bank at 120 kph.

Although small from the outside, the i-Miev is roomy inside and has a well-designed cabin. In fact, it feels similar to that of the Honda Jazz or the Toyota Yaris.

Mitsubishi engineers claim that the i-Miev has a range of 160 kilometers on a full battery charge — however, that range goes down to 100 kilometers when used in normal traffic conditions with two passengers on board, and the lights and air-conditioner functioning. Work is still undergoing to increase the i-Miev’s range.

The i-Miev can be charged through any electrical outlet with a full charge being obtained in seven hours. A quick charger using a 3-phase 200V-50kw can bring up the battery’s power to 80 percent in just 30 minutes.

At present, the cost of the i-Miev in Japan stands at Y4.4 million, or roughly P2 million. With government subsidy and tax breaks, the price of the car can be cut in half.