There's no ignition because there's no engine, but in spite of the silence the car is actually running. With a whoosh instead of a roar, the electric engine torques the sedan forward, the disconcerting lack of noise combining with the right-side driver's seat to create an uncommon experience.
The car is a Japanese version of the Mitsubishi i-Miev, one of 25 such electric vehicles making the rounds nationwide to pave the way for a full American launch this summer, according to auto dealer Tim Kelly. He will bring the car to the Chattanooga Mocs game on Saturday for the general public to see.
"We are among the first dealers in the Southeast helping to spread the word that Mitsubishi is entering the emerging electric vehicle marketplace," he said.
The i-Miev has been available in Japan since April, and could cost between $22,000 and $30,000 with incentives when it is released in the U.S. next year, according to Mitsubishi.
Kelly plans to sell the car at his dealerships on Chapman Road and Riverfront Parkway when it's released and is cautiously hopeful for the car's success, provided that Chattanooga builds enough charging stations to support the promise of fully electric transportation.
"Mitsubishi drivers will be able to use the same charging stations used by the Nissan Leaf," he said, mentioning one of the car's chief competitors in the electric car market.
Out of the thousands stations planned for Tennessee, Chattanooga is slated to get roughly 40 high-speed chargers in early 2011, according to Jim Frierson, executive director of the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute, and around 300 of the slower, one- to three-hour chargers.
"The main ones around the city will be in areas where you're already there for a movie or a doctor's appointment, where you can spend two hours," Frierson said.
More than 1,000 early-bird Nissan Leaf buyers will have personal charging stations in their homes, according to published reports.
Robert Phillips, executive director of the Chattanooga Technology Council, said Chattanooga's position as a "progressive city that embraces technology and innovation" allows it to enjoy early peeks at cars like the Mitsubishi i-Miev.
"I do think that we've been identified as a great test market," Phillips said.
The U.S. version of the car will have a larger bumper and a bulkier body structure to accommodate the expectations of American consumers and meet national safety regulations, according to Mitsubishi. The company will premiere the vehicle at the L.A. Auto Show beginning Nov. 17.