GEM Peapod plug-in electric car
The dashboard sports a meter which reports the status of the battery. The MiEV can drive nearly 100 miles before it needs to be plugged in — more than enough to get you to the office, supermarket and weekend errands, although not a weekend getaway. It recharges overnight on standard 110 Volts, or in three hours at 220.
Inside, it’s roomier than you would think, partly because the battery pack is under the seats, with a compact 47 Kw electric motor behind it that drives the rear wheels. So you can accurately call the MiEv a rear-wheel drive vehicle! More importantly, it is powered by an advanced Lithium-ion battery, smaller, lighter and more powerful than the nickel metal hydride batteries which power other electric vehicles. The lighter weight helps improve its top speed, which is a pretty impressive 81mph, not that I could drive 81 mph in downtown LA.
