How long does an electric car last? Angelo sold his 2011 i-MiEV after 15 years and 149,000 kilometers.
Electric cars have a short lifespan; their batteries degrade year after year, and replacing them is expensive. With decreasing range, these vehicles become difficult to resell as their value drops. This is the typical reasoning of those who view zero-emission mobility skeptically. However, Angelo Musumarra’s story depicts a different reality. He has just sold a Mitsubishi i-MiEV registered in 2011, at the beginning of modern electric vehicles. We interviewed him, and his story is told at the end of this article.
The lifespan of the i-MiEV is similar to that of conventional cars, in fact, it exceeds 13 years.
Angelo, a professional journalist, purchased the i-MiEV used in October 2020 (he shared its story here), and over six years, he drove an additional 43,000 kilometers, bringing the total to over 149,000 km. In 2025, he underwent the car’s most significant maintenance task: battery regeneration, which cost around 1,700 euros. A few days ago, he sold it after 15 years of use and 149,000 km — figures perfectly in line with those of Italian cars. The average age of vehicles on Italy’s roads is around 13 years, while a car typically travels 140,000–160,000 kilometers during its useful life. In short, despite being outdated technology and having a range that would amuse Angelo’s i-MiEV today, it proved capable of lasting as long as any gasoline or diesel car. And most importantly, it still retained a
the used market value.
In the video, Angelo recounts the history of this car that was purchased by several public agencies 15 years ago. “On May 27, 2011, the Regional Environmental Agency of Valle d’Aosta put its first 100% electric car into service: an i-MiEV, which it still uses today. The announcement mentioned a range of about 150 kilometers and a full charge in 6 hours using a standard household outlet. Later, I saw that same car several times at the Citroën dealership in Aosta, in the C-Zero version: it’s still the same car, called ‘Czimion’ by the French—Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Citroën C-Zero, and Peugeot iOn. Only the logos and interior colors change.”
In 2020, the purchase of the i-MiEV from the former Quartu Sant’Elena local police
“I monitored the market from November 2019 to August 2020, with a very specific maximum budget. I had even considered one in Corsica. In October 2020, I found a 2011 i-MiEV from a dealer in Vignate, near Milan: it belonged to the former Quartu Sant’Elena local police, had 106,000 km on it, and cost 6,400 euros. Compared to its French counterparts, I chose the Mitsubishi also because of its ‘B’ mode, which enhances regenerative braking.”
This is Angelo’s choice, which he shares proudly: “We’ve become an ‘electric family.’ In February 2024, we scrapped our AX and bought an MG4, which we use for long trips. At that time, we also considered a new electric Twingo, but it cost 24,000 euros. Now, the used Twingo is sufficient even for medium-distance trips. In November 2025, my son bought a Zoe after he too had driven a MiEV.”
Well, “the MiEV taught me how to drive an electric vehicle: planning, reading the data, respecting the limits of a small battery. Today, with the Twingo and MG4, everything seems easy, but that’s exactly because I learned from it first.”
CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOUT ANGELO’S STORY
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