Comments on: TEST DRIVE: Inhabitat Takes a Chilly But Impressive Ride in the Mitsubishi i EV http://inhabitat.com/test-drive-inhabitat-takes-a-chilly-but-impressive-ride-in-the-mitsubishi-i-ev/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Sat, 18 May 2013 14:21:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: tahrey http://inhabitat.com/test-drive-inhabitat-takes-a-chilly-but-impressive-ride-in-the-mitsubishi-i-ev/comment-page-1/#comment-377576 tahrey Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:28:02 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=357633#comment-377576 Small city cars are _usually_ pretty good on snow (as, counterintuitively, are bikes and motorbikes). Light weight, but skinny tyres, meaning not much force is needed to move/stop them but you still get plenty of pressure on the snow/ice giving you a better contact (less slipping from the aquaplaning layer of water that builds up under fatter tyres). Plus front wheel drive, a lower powered (and so easier to feed in minimal torque) engine, and often a manual gearbox (a godsend for snow driving) The surprise to me is that a heavy, rear wheel drive, high torque and effectively auto-shift one like the MiEV was still as good! Small city cars are _usually_ pretty good on snow (as, counterintuitively, are bikes and motorbikes). Light weight, but skinny tyres, meaning not much force is needed to move/stop them but you still get plenty of pressure on the snow/ice giving you a better contact (less slipping from the aquaplaning layer of water that builds up under fatter tyres). Plus front wheel drive, a lower powered (and so easier to feed in minimal torque) engine, and often a manual gearbox (a godsend for snow driving)

The surprise to me is that a heavy, rear wheel drive, high torque and effectively auto-shift one like the MiEV was still as good!

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