2009 Mitsubishi i MiEV First Steer
March 25, 2009 by David Twomey
2009 Mitsubishi i MiEV First Steer Review
Is this the face of future motoring? Mitsubishi Motors in Australia certainly believes it is the direction we will all be heading, especially as far as city commuting goes.
To enforce that point it has just obtained full Australian Design Rule (ADR) certification for this car, the electric powered i MiEV, which CarAdvice drove today on the streets of the South Australian capital, Adelaide.
The significance of that drive, which only lasted about 10 minutes, is probably yet to be fully realised but Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited CEO, Robert McEniry, was very proud to point out that Australia was the first country outside of Japan to fully certify the i MiEV, for road use.
The car we drove yesterday is a pre-production prototype, but unlike the Subaru Plug-in Stella that we drove a few weeks ago in Melbourne, this vehicle will begin full production in Japan in less than two months, and it will go on general sale there before being rolled out in Europe either later this year or early in 2010.
The i MiEV, it stands for Mitsubishi innovated Electric Vehicle but that may not be its final production name, will also probably go on sale in Australia in the near future, assuming that Mr McEniry and his team can make a successful business case to head office in Japan, and they can convince the Australian authorities to support the vehicle.
The i MiEV is a zero emission drivetime vehicle, which means that it emits no tailpipe CO2 emissions, it doesn’t even have a tailpipe. However, it has to be acknowledged that the electricity it uses does produce CO2 emissions in the production phase, and the significance of that is open to debate.
The i MiEV is based on a Japanese model petrol powered car the Mitsubishi i, which is designed to conform to Japanese regulations known as K Class, and was chosen as the starting place for a full electric vehicle because of the suitability of the vehicle layout.
The i has a rear mounted petrol engine and a fuel tank that sits under neat the passengers.
MMAL vice-president of Brand and Marketing, Paul Unerkov, said it was a relatively easy step to replace the petrol engine in the rear with the electric motor and ancillary equipment and to position the battery packs under the passengers, where the fuel tank had been.
It was also the fact that the i MiEV is based on a production model that made it easier to obtain ADR certification in Australia as the vehicle is fully crashworthy and is designed to meet all the normal demands of a road vehicle.
It will carry four passengers and some luggage in reasonable comfort. It must be remembered that this vehicle is best described in Australian terms as a Sub-Light Car, that is it’s smaller than say a Mitsubishi Colt or a Toyota Yaris.
But having driven it with MMAL Research and Development manager, Ashley Sanders in the passenger seat we have to say that it is more than adequate for its intended job and feels just like a “normal” car.
Yes the car is small, both externally and internally, but it is not cramped and it has all the features that would be expected by an average city commuter, including air-conditioning and heating, which runs off the battery system.
The i MiEV is designed for city commuting, and has a range of 160 kilometres on a fully charged batter pack.
With total voltage measuring 330V, and total energy output at 16kWh, the compact lithium-ion battery and motor reside under the seating and in the back of the vehicle, allowing seating capacity for four and good size luggage compartment in the rear.
Requiring seven hours from a normal domestic household power supply for a full battery charge, the i MiEV should ideally be left to recharge overnight, making it perfect for daily commuting over common distances in a city landscape.
Recharging can also be done from ‘Fast Charge’ units which are starting to spring up in cities such as London and Paris and which Mitsubishi suggests will become common please throughout the world in the not –too-distant future.
It’s issues such as recharging and the handling of the additional load on the power supply system that MMAL plans to address with government and supply companies.
i MiEV’s electric motor produces the same 47kW of power as does the petrol powered i but the difference comes with the torque available.
The petrol powered car produces 94Nm while the electric car has 180Nm and all of it available from zero rpm, right up to the current rev limit of 8500rpm, which equates to a top speed of 130km/h.
Mitsubishi says the i MiEV’s electric motor is smaller, produces more torque at low revolutions and is quieter than a turbocharged petrol engine.
What that translates to on the road, certainly in urban traffic, is brisk performance and a level of drivability and handling that is nothing less than would be expected or found in any other car on the road.
Driving around an intricate and quite average route of suburban and city streets the i MiEV had no trouble in keeping up with a Lancer VRX lead car, accelerating away from rest with as much pace as any other car on the road.
Handling and braking were the same story, the car rides and handles like any small car with a level of control that is completely up to the job.
Admittedly as this car is rather precious, being the only one in the country at the moment, and because our drive route was under the guidance of Mitsubishi personnel, we weren’t throwing the car around, but then neither would the average user.
Braking was strong and progressive and can be aided by the use of a Brake position on the transmission control, which introduces an increased level of regenerative effect, using the motor to slow the car on lift off from the throttle and pumping power back into the batteries.
It’s a win-win situation as it produces more power for the batteries and reduces the load on the car’s braking system.
Drive and Eco Modes provide different levels of power output and there is a noticeable surge in power when the lever is moved from Eco, which conserves power and increases range, to Drive, which uses the full power of the motor.
The car is obviously silent but there is an acceptable level of road noise, which we suspect would be very easily drowned out by a normal sound system.
Other than the lack of engine noise we could have been driving any small car currently on the road.
The i MiEV is a rear-wheel drive vehicle with three ‘speeds’: Drive, Eco and Brake.
Drive is the full power mode where the car drives under normal mode, while Economic or ‘Eco’ mode allows the power to drop out automatically to extend the i MiEV’s cruising range and fuel efficiency.
Brake mode offers high regenerative braking that absorbs as much kinetic energy as possible – restoring power to the battery – and is perfect for downhill driving.
Mitsubishi says that compared to a similar sized petrol car, the running costs per kilometre are around 33 per cent lower. If charged during off-peak or night time hours the operating costs will be even less.
As part of its campaign to bring the i MiEV to Australia and to influence government to support the vehicle Mitsubishi has launched an i MiEV Motorcade of special events, public demonstrations, specialist briefings and individual drive experiences for key government officials, fleet managers, environmental opinion leaders, the media and select members of the general public.
This campaign began in Adelaide today and will then travel to Sydney (March 30th, 31st and April 1st), Canberra (April 3rd) and Melbourne (April 6th to 8th) before returning to MMAL head office in Adelaide.
Mr McEniry, expects the i MiEV will continue to receive heightened levels of interest from members of the government, media and public.
“This is the first time a production-ready electric vehicle has ever been accredited to tour Australian roads in this way. Even in the early stages of the cavalcade, we are attracting a very broad audience, which just goes to show the great variety of customers the i MiEV is likely to appeal to,” said Mr McEniry.
“Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles are becoming increasingly common in this current environmentally conscious climate, but Australia hasn’t seen anything like the i MiEV before,” said Mr McEniry.
International interest in the vehicle has been considerable. Currently, the i MiEV is undergoing feasibility studies in several countries around the world, including the United States, Europe, Britain, New Zealand, Iceland, Canada, and now Australia.
Mr Unerkov said; “It’s great to finally see the i MiEV on the road. Mitsubishi is excited to be at the forefront of this cutting-edge technology.”
“Electric cars are no longer just a futuristic dream – they’re right here, right now.”
Like many new technologies the EV is not the final answer but it is a viable stepping-stone to the solution of our dependence on oil-based fuels and to the problems associated with global warming and pollution.
Mitsubishi is hoping to bring several more of the cars into Australian in the coming months to extend its local testing in preparation for an eventual launch onto the market and we would certainly be keen to drive such a car on an extended basis to evaluate its potential to help combat some of the issues confronting motorists.
There is one final, and BIG, question in all this and that is price.
Mitsubishi would not discuss price, which is likely to be very high in comparison to the style of the car, as a consequence of the high cost of the battery technology.
Mr McEniry made it plain that Mitsubishi would be pushing strongly for serious government subsidies initially to offset the high price and said that this had been the approach taken by the authorities in Japan, where considerable government subsidies will bring the price of the car down to a level not too far above that of its petrol-powered sibling.
He made it plan that it was time for the government to stop just talking about talking greenhouse issues and to start putting money it real world attempts at reducing emissions.
What do you think?
Mitsubishi i MiEV
Technical Specifications
Overall Length x Width x Height: 3395 x 1475 x 1600mm
Curb Weight: 1080kg
Seating Capacity: four
Maximum Speed: 130km/h
Cruising Distance with a single charge (10-15 mode): 160km
Motor Type: Permanent magnet synchronous
Maximum Output: 47kW
Maximum Torque: 180Nm
Drive System: Rear-wheel-drive
Battery Type: Lithium-ion
Total Voltage: 330 Volts
Total Energy: 16kWh
Print it: 
160km range! Now that’s what I’m talking about.
GM might as well scrap the plans for the volt now.
For me, I still think Hydrogen is a better alternative to Oil but this little i really seems to offer another fantastic alternative.
The only thing is, if Mitsubishi Aus are so eager to get the i Miev here why can’t they introduce the petrol-powered i here? I realise that the Colt is sold here too but its also sold everywhere the i is, so I can’t see a problem.
Come on MMAL, bring us the most interesting car currently on the planet! Just make sure the petrol powered version is brought along too!
Jake,
Because the i MiEV is now ADR approved bringing the petrol powered car in would be no trouble at all. Your wish may well be granted! It’s really a case of getting the pricing right.
Even though the huge increase in the oil price last year was painful it may turn out to be the motivation that the automotive industry needed. The current level of innovation is definitely very encouraging, if they can make improvements in battery technology the possibilities are enormous. Thanks for the article.
Thanks David, hopefully it will come out soon…
Nah, the Volt is the best of both worlds.
It’ll work now, when you need to travel more than 160 kms.
With the Mitsu, you’d need to plan ahead (for the moment, until charging stations are in place), whereas with the Volt, if your plans change, you can always use the range extender to keep going.
I’m on the road quite a bit for work, & often end up booking appointments for later in the day, after I’ve left home. The Mitsu wouldn’t work for me, but the Volt would.
“With the Mitsu, you’d need to plan ahead (for the moment, until charging stations are in place), whereas with the Volt, if your plans change, you can always use the range extender to keep going.”
Very true, but I guess the idea is the 2 car family has this to run around and a petrol car/hybrid for those big family day outs.
“For me, I still think Hydrogen is a better alternative to Oil”
Well Jake cars like these are already receiving Hydrogen fuel cells, I guess they are just waiting for infrastructure. I’m tipping the future car will be a Plug In/Hydrogen powered car.
Solve the range problem, then solve the charging time problem, then solve the cost problem, then work out how much energy and precious metals are wasted in the manufacture of the batteries. Then figure out how the electricity is produced in the first place. Then come up with an argument that says that this car makes economic and environmental sense for other than those users with a political barrow to push.
I wonder if the “Hy-wire” Prototype that was on Top gear on Monday night will ever make it into production…? that’s a cool car..
Not only is it environmentally friendly [it runs on Hydrogen]; but the fact that its modular [you can switch between a sedan body or a ute body etc] is also an innovative idea. Not to mention the control panel could switch sides. GM are behind the times…. yeah right!
Some have said it makes a great city run about car. The thing is though, who is going to spend 30+ grand on a run about city car?
You might as well pick up a Hyundai Getz for 13 grand and you’re set. To make up the difference in price you would probably need 20+ years of petrol costs and maintenance to reach the initial price of the electric car.
I know it’s new technology and it’s expensive but it doesn’t really make sense unless the price drops and is only a slight premium over a petrol model.
Hopefully it does sell well which will lower prices eventually.
Absolutely spot on about price and comparison to a Getz. I reckon it’s about the same. These cars (I’ve read elsewhere $42000 AUD for the MiEV) are for wealthy and famous people to buy and feel good about themselves (while they consume and pollute in other ways and at higher rates). I kind of disagree about the new technology bit. As a kid about 40 years ago I would buy toy cars that had an electric motor and a couple of AA batteries. Also, while they don’t look as nice as the MiEV nor have the range, people have been retrofitting cars with electric motors for a long time. This should be cheap for Mitsubishi. Hell, they own the factory that makes the batteries. I’d be happy if this care were $25000.
This thing rocks! I reckon Mitsubishi are onto a winner big style. Folk in London will buy them by the ship load.
Problem is the price £28,000 is what I have heard, but if yoou giving up the Merc E class then its no problem
sorry “you’re”
I really hope they bring the petrol version of the i MiEV to Aus as well, I love those little Japanese Kei cars, they’re the perfect city car. *But are actually useful, unlike the smart cars…*
Oh please don’t start mention about Hyundai….
We are talking about future in this article.
What’s so futuristic about electric cars? They were around (briefly) when cars were first invented. Now, as for Hyundai: there’s almost an excuse for not having cars at all. Sorry! I retract that! It’s got 4 wheels, goes from A to B, generally does what it promises to do, as would the MiEV. Did someone mention the cost…?
would sell a bucket load if they got em here.
For me, trying to convince me into buying one of these would be like trying to convince me to throw away all my tools with leads and go cordless…..
Definitely a great car.
Shame about the poorly written article. Can any of the CarAdvice bloggers even write an article without grammatical or spelling mistakes?
If you heard £28,000 CS then it will be around $45,000-$50,000 here, too expensive.
Agree with you Yianni to expensive for a city car, unless petrol goes to $2.50 litre (in Australia).
CS is right. Better target very large cities like London,Paris,Tokyo.
Ooooh Touchy Baz.
Good to see you wrote 4 words about the article and 21 slagging others off for typo’s. Good contribution.
Actually it’s a Tata Nano with an electric motor.
At least the Tata will be worth only $6000 AUD.
Timesonline states it will have a lease cost of about £750per month. Pretty Pricey when you can have a A6 for £400ish.
“If you heard £28,000 CS then it will be around $45,000-$50,000 here, too expensive”
Thats kind of the numbers i’ve heard also, all new EV’s are going to need some serious government discounts to get them going. The problem I can see is the cost will drop quickly over time. But what will this mean for early buyers in terms of depreciation?
Bear in mind Folk in London will drive anything toavoid congestion charging and parking charges theywould drive a car like this. Richmond Borough Council charge residents to park on street outside their house if you drive a guzzler, many have turned to using hybdrids and electric cars to abvoid such charges.
Yes its expensive but with minimal running costs and low mileages resale values will be retained unlike your average E-class merc bought for £35K sold three years later for £14K. Does make sense then.
Its a great idea for a city car. However what Mitsubishi Australia seem to forget is that Australian Drivers, and Australia in general is a massive place, with major cities, suburbs, towns etc etc very far apart.
In Europe and Japan, everything is alot more tightly packed, therefore this car makes alot of sense.
But for your average Australian, imo its not the car we are after to solve are reliance on fossil fuels.
Its a great idea, dont get me wrong, brilliant idea, and at the right price, im sure it will sell for people who live in inner citys, but the vast majority of the population do not.
I hope the Australian Government puts their money where their mouth is on global warming and climate change and becoming green on this one!!! They need to discount these eco cars to be affordable, so they can take off.
The Australian Governement also needs to encourage and help fund the role out of Electric Recharge stations around major capital cities.
Then they should also seriously consider getting onboard with Hydrogen, and getting petrol stations upgraded to start filling up cars with Hydrogen. Hell we also need to get the infastructer in place to CREATE Hydrogen in a clean way.
Hydrogen at the moment is created by burning fossil fuels. If Australia can get something set up which enables the clean creation of Hydrogen, we are set!
Its the perfect chance to start afresh and do all the right things, this time round.
We have learned from our mistakes with Coal, Oil, Petrol, Diesel, LPG. We have a great chance now to get Hydrogen off the ground, and make it the true Green Alternative to transport.
As Top Gear said, The Hydrogen car of tomorrow is brilliant because its just like the car of today, only no emissions.
I just hope to Christ that Australia does not stuff up this chance we have to make Hydrogen properly.
I’m with you Baz… How difficult is it to proof-read your work before posting it online?
The problem with bringing the petrol powered model here would dilute the iMiev’s effect. Think of how distinctive the current Prius is, people see a Prius and know what it is and what a turning point in motoring it was.
People will now see (potentially) the first Australian all-electric car, which will have reached many people through extended and broad-reaching media exposure, and it will matter to the people buying them that people recognise they are driving the iMiev, not just the i.
Tata Nano much…?
No, Tata Nano not much, but if you send a letter to K Rudd asking why they won’t import these (and relax the safety rules for this size of car) you get a long-winded response from a minister (via his staffer) saying things like they are committed to building a green car in Australia. (I think that means a 4-cylinder Commodore with metallic lime-green paint.)
I really hope they will release the petrol powered version too, because i’ve been keen on getting it ever since I drove one in japan last year.
“In Europe and Japan, everything is alot more tightly packed, therefore this car makes alot of sense.”
Sorry Pauly, I don’t understand your point here. The average Australian doesn’t driver more than 160kms per day. The idea of the range is to hit a daily sweet spot and charge the car everynight.
I can’t see this car being used for long trips until more infrastructure is put in place, and with better battery technology to allow for faster charge times.
Thats why for now the volt is my winner.
I’m with you Allan, the petrol version as a second car run about for trips to and from work and the like, it is brilliant.
If anyone knows, is it comming to Australia and if so when? And how much will it cost?
Allan. Just wondering, how did you find the handling with those skinny front tyres?
Also a warning don’t watch any of the Japanese commercials on youtube as it can be very damaging to you manhood.
Why is an electric car more expensive than a petrol car? It has far fewer parts and requires almost no maintenance. This car is expensive for one reason only – it’s not in mass production and the batteries are not in mass production. Get the ball rolling via whatever subsidy is necessary – then soon we can all drive cheap non-polluting cars – without subsidies.
As for the long tailpipe theory – cars are the perfect recipient of solar and wind. Who cares during what hours of the day or night the battery is topped up. Let the grid decide when it has surplus. Google are working on V2G – where the cars actually support the grid. The people at Google are smarter than most. The people who say “drill”, not so smart.
Carlos, batteries are expensive, period. Its got nothing to do with production volume, they are just expensive due to the exotic materials they use and how labor/time intensive they are to produce. Its not some petroleum company conspiracy that makes them expensive. Thats why we haven’t had battery powered cars in the past (commercially successful ones anyway), because its just very expensive.
Remember, batteries and electric motors aren’t some new invention, they are older than the internal combustion engine itself. We’ve had Li-ion batteries since the early 90’s, yet only now has the consumer desires shifted enough for the supposed environmental benefit of EV cars to overcome the increased cost/reduced versatility.
Tom, at Greenbushes in WA, we have more Lithium than you can poke a stick at. I stand by my original assertion. Batteries are expensive because we’re making them in dozens, not millions.
Break through in battery technology:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/sto.....514848.htm
When this is commercialy available electric cars will be suitable for the majority of motoring.
“Carlos, batteries are expensive, period. Its got nothing to do with production volume, they are just expensive due to the exotic materials”
Yes but the price will reduce overtime, due to improvements in the technology and mass production. As you already pointed out Li-ion is old tech. Then keep in mind the car companies have R&D costs to recover for all these new EV’s.
For Tesla the replacement battery is about $35K USD, with a 7 year/100,000K life. But the car is $110 USD. So even without the battery its 75K Car, given its based on a Lotus that retails for $50K new, its still an expensive car.
Li-ion is not “old tech” – its the way of the future. Scientists and engineers are overcoming the problems of slow charging and battery decay.
The future is looking good!
16 kWh battery, driven flat out by a 46kW motor = 21 minutes battery life.
To make the range of 160km you would have to cruise at 40 km/h for four hours.
I think a more accurate range is one 60km round trip per day.
Frank, when do you drive any car/motor flat out continuously??
If flat out gives just 46kW, i suspect your foot would be planted quite often…
Its like asking a Commodore or Falcon driver how often they rev past 2000 rpm.
“The future is looking good! ”
Yes it is, but the last few electronic devices i purchased have moved away from Li-Ion onto Li-Polymer.This is good news because battery technology seem to improve in jumps of about 50%. Given that option of either smaller size of longer life!
Frank, thats 46Kw in a car thats smaller than a Barina, 700kg lighter than a Falcon with almost half the torque of a Falcon. Also the range is extended through regen braking.
So unless your going to drive flat out with very little braking. IE on a race track, then you’d be right. But for normal driving you would get close to the expected range.
Brilliant technolagy and subatance, these cars will be considered cool by the people who think japanese technolagy is cool. Like Lloyd Port-Lewis, who after waiting for nearly two years still hasnt met me in the carpark so i can show him whats what, the monday watching Jeremy clarkson opinionated then tuesday repeating jeremys opinions as if they are his own, freak. The car is brilliant.
I’ve just heard this car has been given the green light to drive on Australian roads. So will this be Australia’s first EV?
Australia’s first commercial electric car is not – as claimed by Mitsubishi — the iMiEV, a converted micro-class petrol car.
It is in fact the Electron, a converted Hyundai Getz that has been on sale in Australia for more than 12 months. The Electron has even become the ministerial vehicle of NZ Environment Minister, Mr Nick Smith.
Eighteen Electrons have already been sold by manufacturer Blade Electric Vehicles, of Castlemaine in central Victoria. Customers include private buyers, Melbourne City Council, the Victorian Government and other city councils.
Hyundai NZ also plan to import 200 Electrons into New Zealand during 2009-10.
“While we welcome moves by Mitsubishi to join the Electron on Australian roads, their car has not had local availability confirmed, nor local pricing. If the rumours are correct Mitsubishi will charge around $60,000 for this micro car,” said BEV Managing Director, Mr Ross Blade.
“This is not bad but our car costs $45,000 and is a full hatchback size, comfortably seating four adults with the full boot space intact, and all the performance and acceleration of its petrol equivalent,” he said.
“Our customers have driven their Electrons for more than 12 months and up to 11,000 km without any problems,” he said.
The Electron comes with a full five year warranty on parts and labour and uses highly durable, state-of-the-art, lithium iron phosphate battery packs and US-made 40 kW electric motors featuring regenerative braking.
When charged on 100% GreenPower – available to retail customers from all electricity retailers – the car becomes a truly zero emission vehicle.
85% of Australians dive less than 100km/day so I can’t see why it won’t take off. 160km range is perfect.
How important really is the range isn’t the real issue the availability of changing stations? If I can charge the car for 4-9 hours while I am at work this will fix a lot of problems. 160 Km range sounds good but how long before the battery deteriorates and you are getting less?
I am ready, willing and cashed up to buy one, as soon as Mitsubishi are ready to sell it to me. It would help if I knew the price though.
$42000 is the last I read. Go to the Mitsubishi Australia website and ask. They told me they haven’t committed. I’m amazed that companies can make something and not know how much to sell it for. (What’s wrong with a formula like “cost of production X 1.5 = sale price”.) Obviously exchange rates are a factor. I think they’re hoping for some Ruddy incentives to bring the price down.
I think this car would be a wonderful approach to help preserve the environment for generations to come.
Also “Europe” is not a country;
Quote:
“Currently, the i MiEV is undergoing feasibility studies in several countries around the world, including the United States, Europe, Britain, New Zealand, Iceland, Canada, and now Australia.”
Unquote