The Mia Electric is the Central Driver's Seat City Car You Didn't Know You Wanted
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- Опубліковано 7 сер 2024
- The Mia Electric is a sliding-doored, central-seated, electric car from France that I absolutely love. Even if it did go into limp mode while I was driving it.
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5:00 in european countries, the traffic lights at crossroads are mounted on your side of the road, not on the other side of the crossroad like in the US.
Most are mounted to the right and above you. Since you sit pretty far back in this car, those tiny mirrors are for looking upwards so you can see the traffic lights mounted above you, in case the view to traffic light mounted on the right is blocked by busses or trucks.
In that case, a mirror in the center would make more sense since the overhead traffic light is also in the center, not above your left or right. But I agree, it kind of makes sense.
@@_rlb No, a lot of them are (as stated) on the side of the road, but still quite a bit higher than you would be able to see....it's actually quite annoying.
@@BuzzinsPetRock78 Hmmm. OK. That does not correspond to the original statement "those tiny mirrors are for looking upwards so you can see the traffic lights mounted above you, in case the view to traffic light mounted on the right is blocked ". Because the traffic light above you would be in the center, NOT to the left or right. But whatever.
I live in Europe by the way ;)
And here I thought it was for suction mounts for phones and GPS
What, never see any car with it, even had weird citroens in my life, never had this thing on dash, I'm going to guess this is guess.
Tiny French electric van
Robert: It's like a McLaren F1!
In so much that it has to be 25 years old before you can personally import one. Yes. :)
it certainly is like a mclaren in terms of reliability
Central seating position with two behind us like the f1
If anything they should have been truly French and made it a little romantic 2 seater and put a 13 horsepower gas engine so that you could fill it up and not have to Jack on every night
Mirrors on the dash are to see traffic lights.
Really? It would help me since I'm 185 cm and I have to duck down to see the traffic lights if it's close
That makes so much sense. In europe the lights tend to be near the time. Not opposite the road like in the us.
Tbh.. 3 seats and sliding doors.
Im sold.
May need bigger batteries though.
This is exactly accurate. It has to do with how far back from the windshield the driver is. American cars also used to have a similar issue, but they solved it a different way, they had these little glass viewfinder like baubles that would catch the color of the light and essentially glow and diffuse the light through what looked like a bulb almost. Eventually this became a non-issue as windows became more and more raked and visibility improved... until new roll safety standards went through and people started to favor higher riding cars with more commanding view of the road/higher beltlines and cars became irritatingly hard to see out of again. EDIT: You can find images of these jewel or sometimes magnifying loup style prisms or lenses by searching, "Traffic Light Viewer" or "Traffic Light Prism."
Those should come standard on all cars. I'm quite tall and I've almost crashed a couple of times because traffic engineers are racist against tall people.
"Didn't you see the light?!"
"What light, where?"
I love how Robert just genuinely loves these little cars and their dumb little quirks.
Why would they be dumb? They are mostly playful. Does everything automotive automatically have to be Bentley or resemble a friggin military personnel transporter to be cool?
@@furrystep agreed. there's more to cars than speed or features
Preske robert does even quirkier cars than doug demuro
@Reno Simpson I would probably buy a car for that feature.
@Reno Simpson The Flintstones car hein?
"33 grand plus taxes" - probably including taxes. nobody in europe advertises/shows prices without tax (except for business to business transactions/offers).
That's a fucking attrocious price. You'd have to be on spice to buy it at that price.
My 310hp leon cupra cost that much with the brembo package and cup sport tires.... what were they thinking when they decided the price
@@IIXenon, Leon cupra isn't electric. This car was meant for EV enthusiasts.
@@IIXenon OUCH! That much for a fucking seat leon? Even the golf is around £20K plus. Why are shit cars so expensive?
@@Darkest_matter try to get a faster (modern) car for 30k. Do you prefer the civic type r, megane rs or i30n ? Is every cheap-ish sportscar shit or just the leon? What are you driving, a 11 thousand dacia?
The "vents" next to the cupholder are coin slots for toll roads and parking structures. You'd put your Euros there.
And those would be useful if you could reach out the window to the toll booth from your seating position... XD
Seriously, I imagine this car to be a nightmare at parking garages trying to get the ticket from the dispenser at the entrance.
Parking afterwards would be a breeze, though.
If you can drive it long enough to get to a toll booth
kargaroc386 🤣
@@Crazy_Borg I doubt it's a difficult reach, actually. It's quite narrow and has very vertical sides, and as he said, it's easy to know exactly where the corners of the car are from the center.
No way its spelled gyro not euro and not only would it not fit in those slots but no sandwich would fit in those slots
I love how there's a freakin' GTR LM in the background, but that little French electric car gets all the attention
To be fair the Mia probably worked better than the GT-R LM's hybrid system.
Meh, it's a nissan. This is more interesting.
I've seen a GTR before. Not this bean
Sliding doors are actually pretty smart on a tiny, low-speed city car like this, especially in Europe. Easier to get out when parking at the curb, and you're less likely to smash some poor cyclist with your doors as they go by in the bike lane next to you.
I used to drive Mia long time ago. I liked the car. And my children loved it even more because of the door opening button and for being so lovely little car. But it was not designed for a cold climate I am living in. Its batteries died prematurely because they were charged at too low temperature.
"What are they gonna do, arrest me?" - Robert, having just passed the brand-new Metro Police HQ, with it visible in his back windows as he says it ;-P
Seriously, as a Nashvillian, I wish I'd known you were in town, because I would have loved a meetup; the Lane Motor Museum is cool and definitely your kind of place.
Same thing when Regular Car Reviews was in Nashville also sampling some of the LMM’s collection; we would have loved to have an RCR Nashville meetup, and there was a guy willing to let them review a 1st gen Chevrolet Aveo, and I would have been more than happy to toss them the keys to my 2nd gen Chevrolet Aveo for review as well.
Ehm, I'm not sure about US traffic law, but in European countries, you can get fined for driving too slow when you can and should go faster. For example, if you do 60 on the motorway, or like 40 on a national road, you'll be pulled over.
Aww man! I thought that looked like the Lane. I would've liked to meet him too.
@@thany3 It is the same over here... but that is why he was on the shoulder with his (assuming) hazard flashers on... I heard the turn signals constantly flashing SO...... and I dont think he made it to a major road just regular city streets.
@@thany3 The same happens in the US. Although, if you are experiencing mechanical failure (as he was) and attempting to return to a shop, a cop would have to be a real jerk to write you a citation.
Hey Robert, can we use a little bit of your video in a news coverage of the Mia 2.0? ;) Nikki and the team at TE ;)
Absolutely!
Well i live in Hungary, and i see one of these for quite some time. I was always curious what's that, but never ever searched for it. Then there's you, the funniest American who have the weirdest car fetish. What i can imagine from the Balkan.
Keep up the good work, all off the minutes of your content is golden!
Your enthusiasm for that thing makes me envious. lol!
It makes me so happy to see him happy
Same
Buy one and put 1000cc bike engine in it
@@syedhassaanmujtababokhari6199 I have the feeling that would take an incredible amount of revision and rebuilding to make it work.
@@MaryAnnNytowl yes it would and he's the perfect candidate for it
With removable rear seats to switch between cargo and passenger mode, modern lightweight materials, batteries, and a more powerful motor, that might not be all that bad of a vehicle. It would need a secure window though.
yeah, but all those changes wouldn't get the price down. Batteries might have become somewhat cheaper now, but I don't think you could sell that thing for under 30K€ - and then you'd still compete with a lot things far more capable and/or cheaper.
@@DresdenFPVbatteries are far, far cheaper now. A Nissan leaf with a battery pack 5 times the size, and a much more powerful motor, is 30k euro
@@joebot86 as I said: I don't think you could sell that thing for under 30K€
@@DresdenFPV my point had far more to do with the drastic cost drop of batteries.
Also, re: the weird dash mirrors - because the driver's seat is situated so far back, I bet they are for looking up at traffic lights above.
If i had one of these, i'd totally get the Total Recall Johnny Cab livery put on it.
It's not wedge shaped enough for my taste. :P
Hahahahahah ! Good.
Wohoo, a new "Trabi" Launch at the end :D
With some wheelspin even! :D
Must take Trabant back to the drag strip and compare times from first trip......Trabant in the burnout box!!!!
Way ahead of its time!
Now, in 2020, you might be able to offer it for 10-15k € (preferably the lower end, as you can get the Citroen Ami for about 7000 € even with the upgrades). That would make it a dream for urban commuters, young families and second cars.
Love that layout. An effective use of space to add leg-room and no need to change design for left-hand driving.
I'd just like to say, we need more central driving position cars
Robert the type of guy who properly sorts out his priorities right by showcasing us viewers a French electric car over sports and F1 cars.
As you said, it's sorted out right. How many videos are there of F1 cars in comparison to the Mia?
Somehow I don't think the museum would have let him drive an F1 car.
Cool! You're famous enough that a car museum let you play with one of their cars. *:-)*
Not just any car museum either, one of the best :)
@@StarryCactus Right!? I think it's great.
Who knows? Maybe he just asked.
What museum is he at?
Ha! Love that divot in the headliner for the driver’s head. Also, from what we can see in the background, more reviews for that museum would be most welcome.
Now I know why love this channel. I love so many of the same things that you do. And now I want a Mia Electric.
Yep, I get where this guy is coming from. '72 beetle owner here. Fun to hear from a guy with alternate values and different qualifications for respect. There is something fascinating about the more humble and underrated vehicles. (KISS, keep it simple stupid)
Btw, there is a production plan to build it again in 2019 in Hungary by Fox automotive
If it's a lot cheaper than originally (perhaps thanks to newer batteries) and has doors that actually seal, this might become a niche success.
It has to get cheaper, actually, because now there are plenty of small electric cars of this size, like the electric ForFour, that cost about the same while offering car-like performance and safety. I doubt the factory in Hungary will add a proper safety cage and an airbag to it.
@@no1DdC It has to be under 15k€ ... The Seat Mii electric with 33kWh battery is being sold for 16-18k€ next year..
@@rkan2 i would say it need to be under 13k€, over that price you can get not that old Leaf in good condition. It is though really nice for some specific uses like for disabled people (after some mods) and for deliveries in tight city centres
@@alanowa123 remember, you can't compete with the used market, you can always get a better car if you are willing to buy used.
@@marcusborderlands6177 if it comes to used conventional cars then yes, but if it comes to electrics it's just game of price vs range vs features vs mobility in city. It's not about comfort, reliability, parts cost etc. like in normal cars.
I actually saw the van version, in a dealer in ENGLAND, and wondered why I didn't see it anymore. Now I heard how expensive it was, I can see how the company failed to stay in business. But I still think it is amazing that I did see one of these rare vehicles! The Small imported Japanese vans with TWO seats upfront are so crammed in, they would be better off with only One seat upfront, with proper elbow room for the driver
Does this remind anyone else of the robot cab in the movie Total Recall?
Yes!! I was going to comment about that.
PrincessTS01 lol JohnnyCab
No.
@@thedementedmussolinifjb3218 THAT'S what it looks like! I knew it looked like something in a movie, but I couldn't quite remember what.
"Get ready for a surprise!"
I love how affectionate and cute you are with the car. It's....cute.
If I owned a Mia, I would nickname it “Momma”.
What? "Mamma Mia" is a thing, I really hope you don't actually think it's "Momma mia".
@@MuscarV2 But "Mamma" doesn't really make sense as a car name
You have to close the door properly otherwise the courtesy light is draining the battery and your loosing power 🔌 going up the hill.... Simple!
You're*
It's so incredibly easy to get that right.
3:40 the headlight angle switch is a common thing in most European cars. It's rarely used but is there so if you are towing a trailer or you have a heavy load in the back of the vehicle, that is raising up the front of the vehicle, you can angle the headlights down slightly to compensate for that.
I didn't know it was a European thing only…
@@LMB222 Not sure if it's European only one not, but AFAIK it was and still is a legal requirement in France. (unless you have xenon or other hi-tech headlamps which must have automatic leveling) and it has been for a long time since it was present on the 2CV already.
In Australia the light dipping has to be automatic as we are not deemed competent enough to be able to do it ourselves.
@@kingcosworth2643 bloody government sticking its nose in... 🤣 🤣
Or you can lower the lights when you don't need them that much so you're not a douche to other drivers
Watching you being so happy makes me so happy
If I had a dollar for every electric car manufacturer that went bankrupt within the first five years of operation, I could probably afford one of their cars.
I absolutely love your reaction to this car. I wish i could press the thumbs-up button more than once.
i mean technically you can, but that'd just unlike it
Every time someone records a video at that car museum I'm increasingly jealous. So much cool stuff in the background.
I saw and try this car in Geneva motor show when it was brand new. The gap on the floor was also design for passenger safety especially for kids. Because when they get off the car by this gap, they are still in the car and protected. This is useful when you are parked in narrow streets.
"it looks neat" was exactly what i was thinking when i clicked the video. and now i want one, too!
3:41 That's standard equipment here in Europe (i think every where outside north america). And yeah the french are known for there electrics, and not in a good way.
Yep, the last car I had that didn't have it would have been sometime in the early nineties.
@@ptonpc It's the law to have headlight adjustment, except for HID's, which must have automatic leveling systems.
@@HB45175 The last car I had that *didn't* have it was sometime in the early 1990's it was not always law.
@@ptonpc In France it had been for a long time; in fact one reason why the venerable 2CV have headlights mounted on a common bar is precisely to allow to adjust both headlamps together. I'm not sure it's mandatory for that long, but It was on all french cars form the 70's onward.
You have the most lovely relationship with these cars, and it's a delight to listen to your reviews. Thanks man :D
Robert, btw they have several east german cars in the basement.
Pull up close to a traffic light and you will know what those mirrors are for. Old cars used to have them when the winshild had no slope to it.
OMG! I just love these weird cars, keep ,em coming 😅
This is a seriously great channel. Just found it. 188k subscribers gives no justice
Fantastic
The MIA ended production in 2013, same year the Renault Kangoo ZE came out. That one has a full Electric drive for 62 mils or 100 Kilometers but took space to 60 miles per hour. The later Version in 2016 had even longer range. In Austria the postal Service bought 200 and now all mail is delivered ELETRIC.
I found myself really rooting for this car. Some fun design choices in a delightfully quirky package.
I love the Lane auto museum in Nashville. Fabulous place. Thanks for another great video.
I would be loving that thing the same way you are. It's a super unique and cool looking little rig. I love different stuff.
What really cracks me up is it has the same stalks as in my 1998 peugeot 605
Dang, the Trabi is running so well now that it spins the tires on launch a little bit!
If you can, you definately schoul review a Tazzari zero. I drive on on a daily basis and love it.
End poorly? What’re you talking about, it got you all the way back, this thing is mint! Nothing wrong with it at all, perfect design! I swear!
I really like it! They've clearly put a lot of thought into the design. Someone elsewhere in the comments says that this is going back into production, and if I could afford a new car it would certainly be something I'd consider.
There's actually a great link between your Trabi and that Mia Electric whatchamacallit. In Berlin there's a tour operator called Trabi-Safari, and they do (as you've guessed) tours of the city using old Trabant P601s. Their fleet consists of a bunch of two-stroke P601s, a couple of electric conversion Trabants (let that sink in!) and a number of those Mias!
They use the electric cars as lead vehicle for the tour guide, and the tourists get to drive the two-strokes on Berlin's city streets.
cdn.getyourguide.com/img/tour_img-431503-146.jpg
Great! Love your reviews, the other stuff too, dont get me wrong. This actually looks pretty usable if it had more power and better seals. Perfect shuttle for some really old town centers in France that have no roadspace. I like the kind of dome cutout in the headliner for more room. I want to see you try out all the crazy cars visable in the back. Do it for science!
You're not the only one that likes all things different, I once rented a flat/apartment based solely on the fact it had a sliding door for the en-suite khazi (toilet), Also being French it works when it wants to.
Your happy enthusiasm brightened my mood. Thank you.
That is so unusual, cute and quirky! And I mean the car, not you. Or do I?
Both
He's currently taken. But I'll adopt him as my other son.
4:50 , some places in Europe consider an inspection fail if anything is mounted on the front window. This meant many cars with plastic trim sold in Europe often now how very smooth points which are great for things like phone mounts or GPS, which are mounted with suction cups
So as a Mia owner and daily driver let me add this to the content.
1) The car is all plactic on the outside.
2) My car tops out at 120 km/h or 74 mph.
3) The "ventilation" holes in the left, next to the cup holder is for putting coins in.
4) The blank slot underneath point 3) is a cover for the fusebox.
5) The "mirrors" are platforms so you can mount you're suction cups for gps of phone holders.
Extra: You can get in and out true the 2 sliding doors. Always safe to get out instead of facing trafic.
Thanks for keeping this car alive and great video.
How much power does the electric motor have on the 120km/hr version.
@@shubhamrane7020 It's 10 kW or about 13 HP. All versions reach 120km/hr
The way you get excited over these cars is how i get excited over gadgets. You shoulda seen me when I found a sunbeam automatic toaster at a thrift store! XD
Now you need to go to London UK to drive the last remaining Edison Electric from 1912. Or Russia to get a ZiL.
The indicator sound is sometimes heard on other cheap french cars
You talking about a little french electric car while having a Nissan NISMO on the background is why I love this channel.
Love this channel and his humor.
Perfect Stocking Stuffer if anyone I know is listening....and generous
I am going to guess that they did a central seating position so that they wouldn't have to move the controls from the left to the right in order to sell it to the English and the Irish.
and the Japanese, Australians, Thais, New Zealanders and a dozen other countries.
@@Dave_Sisson Very true. If they were that small (and presumably cash poor?), they probably didn't have immediate ambitions to export outside of the EU, though. It does scream "Kei car" to me, so you never know.
@@TheSteinbring I have an eletric Kei Car, it has a top speed of 136km/h, and can fastcharge, and is cheaper than the car in the video.
I drove this car over a snowy mountain pass to days ago... You couldn't done that with the car in the video..
@@MichaelEricMenk But when and by who was your Keicar made?
The Mia was made in 2010, and by a company that primary activity is creating specific rear parts on existing vehicles (transforming a Mercedes station-wagon in an ambulance, for example) and a secondary one was turning production cars into electric cars.
We're not talking about the level of expertise and found available for something like the Renault Zoe.
@@LeSarthois the model started selling in 2009, and is still being produced..
It's made by Mitsubishi, and also sold rebranded by Citroën and Peugeot.
I excited to see you excited Robert, the Lane Motor Museum looks epic. Also, that new Trabi launch is brilliant!
The Lane museum is definitely worth the trip. It's in Nashville, Tn.
I love the fact that you get so excited by this stuff. Makes for great viewing. "its a samll French car" is enough of an explanation. Fits most circumstances. And yes I want one as well.
Well, the Trabant sounds a hell of a lot better now!
Doesn't smell better though.
no1DdC That's what scented 2-stroke is for!
Oh damn, dat wheel spin 11:14
One of the best REAL car reviewers. Great channel.
Around the time this video came out i saw one of these parking in front of my ex-dentist here in Germany. I know the Mia, but didn't know it is that rare. Otherwise i would have stopped and looked at it. It was all white, the whole body and the wheels except the tires of course. Looks pretty cool...
I have seen the headlight angle switch on a few Euro cars. Don't know how true it is but heard it was for when the vehicle was heavily laden or towing a trailer to prevent blinding other drivers.
I assume it's a blanket requirement in vehicles because I can't see how it could possibly be needed in this specific vehicle unless having two rear passengers really compresses the suspension.
Tiny french van: has trays
Me: I CAN EAT FOOD IN THIS THING! I NEED IT! IT IMPRACTICAL BUT I WANT IT!!
I love the style of your videos!
What an adorable little taxi.
Mirrors could be for seeing above maybe traffic lights I remember hearing about some European lights being hard to see from a certain seating position this is a guess
Looks like some one is in Nashville welcome Aging Wheels guy.
East Tennessee is Best Tennessee.
@@maglax Said no one ever.
The Mia looks like it was designed for late night dashes to fast food windows. Note the burger trays on each side of the driver and that cute little drive thru sliding window to your left. Try THAT in a McLaren F1!
The car is cool and all, but your enthusiasm really makes this video!
Very cool car in concept, too bad the build quality is probably crap. Thanks for taking us though it's quirks and features :D
1:22 Ooo ooo, Volvo 142 left in Safari Yellow!
Fox Automotive Switzerland owns the Mia brand. In September 2019 they decided to to move the factory to Komárom, Hungary, where they will be able to manufacture, as they say, 12k cars a year. And they will produce the car in the video again, probably with slight updates.
your enthusiasm is contagious! (Especially so since your voice ever so slightly reminds me of Kermit).
One wonderful thing about the Mia is how it actually had loads of space for three people on a tiny footprint. The two back seat passengers just put their legs next the the driver's. He was in the middle, so right and left of him there was plenty space.
Speaking of French, definitely looked like a shrunken down European minivan. Something like the Renault Espace or Fiat Ulysse...
Shrunken down and on crack!
3:13 That blinkers sound is very Renault(ish), and the side mirrors are definitely from Renault.
The dash dials looked very Peugeot Citroën. Do you reckon they just raided the parts bins? 🤣
@@DigitalDiabloUK And the steering wheel looks like it came from a Peugeot 206.
@@DigitalDiabloUK It's very common for electric cars to do that. The SEER Volta (I'm sure he'd love testing it) was made with lots of part from Peugeot.
The blinker sound is exactly same as my 2019 Citroen C1
You do a really great job with your videos
What a great little car, I can see you have an attraction to similar vehicles as me, I have a Mitsubishi minicab miev EV , my previous car was a Steyr Daimler Puch Haflinger 700AP, the smallest vehicle with the longest name, and before that a Honda Acty Van, 550cc two cylinder power house
: )
might not have been charged correctly thanks to US 110V instead of Europe 220V
The horizontal mirrors (on the dash) are to snort coke lines from.
BTW, that isn't a guess.
Doug DeMuro shows a car that I want but could never afford. Aging Wheels shows a car I could afford but never want. XD Excellent stuff all round!
Quite obviously you have a critically important gift. You are very easily amused. Among other things, that's what keeps us watching.
It's basically a BMW 7 series as it can come in a long wheelbase version
Doug called, he wants his title back.
So many quirks and features...
THIIIS! is a Mia electric.
and it has so many quirks and features
The whole car is a quirk.
Wow, I remember reading an article about this car back when it came out, I absolutely loved it... But yeah, I was like 10 years old, and I've literally never heard of it since 😬😂
Great to see you you picking up subs! Keep it up!
I’m pretty sure there are lawn mowers more powerful than this.
True. But IC engine power isn't like 'lectric power. All torque available at a standstill; the best reason for hating the idiot hypermiling Prius drivers for not driving like they mean it!
the isetta upgraded engine has the same horsepower as this thing
@@legohackerman6260 This only did slightly better than the BMW Isetta Doug DeMuro reviewed (which did have to be towed back).
0:55 Did you just call the metric system better? :-)
BTW you look great with that beard!
He did and why wouldn't he? It's very obviously better then freedom units.
@@CherryGS because he most likely grew up using the Imperial system and is likely to have developed a 'feeling' for that to a level that I shall never achieve. I honestly feel that it is more logical, or better adapted to 'my logical system' anyway. I have seen explanations by Americans why the Imperial system is better, and I can understand that but I just don't feel it.
Yes, it actually is better for anything I've ever run across. Why the rest of us Americans can't "get" it, I don't know. Our money is more or less "metric," after all, with one hundred cents equaling a dollar. Yet we have to measure liquids with this weird '3 of this is one of those, and 4 of those equals one of something else, and 8 of something else equals something other, and 16 of something other equaling yet another something entirely' type of nonsense that everyone needs a magnet on their fridge to even try to remember. Very annoying.
You should have more subscribers man, you've got great content 👍
That looks like the perfect car for getting around and parking in Paris. Je l'aime. I used Google to translate as I don't speak French.