PADDY COMYNtakes to the streets in Mitsubishi's i-MiEV

This isn't the first time I've driven an electric car. My experience so far has been somewhat patchy. The first one I drove was the Reva, otherwise known as the G-Wiz and, while it has been praised for being a fully functional electric car (although strictly speaking it's a quadricycle), I hated it. It felt flimsy, the interior was shocking and you look like an idiot in it.

However, things have got better. There's the Mini E; laden with batteries where the back seats used to be, it's super fast and has a half decent range - a possible 250km.

And now, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. I'm looking for the catch and I can't find one. The night before test I took a drive in the petrol version for comparison and, as I step inside the plug-in, it all looks pretty similar. There is the same transmission and layout. There are four doors and four seats, but where the engine should be there is a host of wires that makes it look more like a PC than a car.

The i-MiEV is a pre-production car but close to what we can expect and, more importantly, it goes on sale here as soon as next year. With a range of 160km, it would be enough for many and you can charge it from a mains or, when the infrastructure allows, from fast charging points.

Turn the car on and wait a second or two for the 'ready' symbol. There is instant torque and the response is silent and urgent. There is an Eco mode that limits torque and reduces battery drain, and another mode allows for energy regain from braking.

In our few hours in the car we did see some fluctuation in the way the car's energy was used, and we can imagine this could result in the "range anxiety" that afflicts EV owners, but if this is what we can expect from electric cars then the future looks bright.

For most needs it feels no different than a petrol and, in fact, often has better acceleration. It is quiet, which will lead to some startled pedestrians, but overall it feels like a great little car.