Jan’s iMiev – a small electric hatch first introduced around 2010 by Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi – sits diminutively between SUVs parked outside the coffee roaster where we did our interview.
Jan tells me that she only has a small parking space at home so when she decided to go electric she looked for a car that could replace her Daewoo Matiz, one that was inexpensive and compact yet would still meet her daily needs. With a hatchback and seats that fold down, the iMiev is perfect for her.
The car is 10 years old and she has been driving it for the last two years after purchasing it from a friend for well under $10,000. Why did she buy electric? “To save the planet and to be an example,” she says. Jan is not a shy person and has long been upfront in her fight to save us from ourselves.
The iMiev has a range around town of about 80 – 90 km so she does a lot of planning about how far she will go each day.
She charges from a caravan adaptor with a 14 Amp extension cord from a 14 amp socket and extension cord when the car gets down to a range of about 10km and the warning light is flashing. If she needs it, the iMiev will take a high-speed charging cable. It is still available as a new car in Japan but is no longer exported to Australia.
“I charge when I think I won’t have enough charge to get home, no matter how full the battery is, and I have to plan. Sometimes I forget to charge, so I stay home,” she says adding she is considering a battery upgrade so she can travel further using the QESH network.
Jan is a member of AEVA and Solar Citizens. She is a climate activist who has been arrested 5 times for protesting about the Adani mine. It is a badge of honour for her. She was once admonished by the police for banging on the door of a bank to highlight the need to save the reef – she is the one in the Nemo suit – obviously a threat!
The iMiev has been to many car shows (I met Jan at the recent BRT event) and been shown to many friends. “Many women about my age seem to be interested,” she says. It was a particular hit at the recent RACQ Motorfest. Her partner says that the car has now been infused with Jan’s soul and projects her vision of a greener world. It is far superior to her previous car which did not have central locking, electric windows, power steering or assisted braking.
For a day of pure indulgence, Jan and her partner hired a Tesla 3 and drove it to Noosa. It was a lot of fun, but Jan prefers her smaller car: “It’s not big but it’s clever,” she says – like it says on the Mitsubishi brochure.
David Waterworth is a researcher and writer, a retired school teacher who continues to provoke thought through his writing. He divides his time between looking after his grandchildren and trying to make sure they have a planet to live on. He is long on Tesla.