Hey, at least we know it works now, even if we can't buy it yet. Popular Mechanics reports that they drove an all-electric Mitsubishi iMiev prototype through Greenwich Village and that it "snarls through traffic so easily, it's almost like cheating." The iMiev looks similar to the one currently sold in Japan, but instead of a three-cylinder 600c block, it has a 47-kW electric motor and a 330-volt lithium-ion battery pack. That's good for a real-world 85-mile range at 55 mph and a top speed of 80 mph, according to the report.

Since it's rear-wheel drive, the car actually dips a bit under throttle due to the copious torque. It also uses regenerative braking, except that in this application, the report said it's virtually transparent. Instead of cutting speed when you let off the accelerator, it just coasts along like a gasoline car. There's also a separate "b" mode to increase the effect.

Using a 220-volt plug, the iMiev takes about 7 hours to fully charge; a 110-volt outlet can do the job, too, but expect to wait 14 hours, the report said. Mitsubishi is also designing a quick-charge system that pumps the battery from 0 to 80 percent charge in 3 hours.