Yes, Electric Car Owners Can Be Assholes Too

Wired's Chuck Squatriglia has been writing about life with the i-MiEV, Mitsubishi's pill-shaped electric car. Here he finds that the snubs from other electric vehicle drivers cut deepest. — Ed.

So there I was, getting on the Bay Bridge in the carpool lane in the i-MiEV that Mitsubishi's loaned me when I spotted a Tesla Roadster. "What are the odds of two EVs getting on the bridge at the same time," I said to my passengers.

"Only in the Bay Area," replied my wife.

We roll up next to the Tesla. I smile and wave. The guy completely ignored me. He willfully ignored me. "He's intentionally ignoring you," my wife said.

That's right. I was dissed by an EV driver. "Whattya want?" asked my friend Jim.

"I dunno – he could wave. Smile. Something," I replied. "We're comrades in the EV revolution!"

"That guy is not your comrade," Jim said. "It's not like you're both driving Jeeps or something. He's driving a $120,000 Tesla. You're driving an electric egg that's a rolling ad for Mitsubishi. That guy doesn't see you as an equal. He got up this morning, put on his designer jeans, his Italian loafers and bought a double whip half-caf mochachino before kissing his beautiful wife goodbye. And here you are, screwing up his mojo with your little electric egg."

He should have his membership in the electric club revoked and his Tesla traded for a Wheego Whip.

Photo: Jim Merithew / Wired.com

This story was written by Chuck Squatriglia and originally published by Wired Autopia on Oct. 20, 2010.