Mitsubishi i-MiEV goes into production
June 5, 2009 by David Twomey
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has chosen today, World Environment Day, to unveil the production version of the i-MiEV new-generation electric vehicle (EV), describing it as “the pioneer that will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society.”
The i-MiEV will go on sale on the Japanese market in late July of this year, with a price tag that’s the equivalent of A$59,145, however buyers will be eligible for a government subsidy on that price equal to A$17,877.
The i-MiEV already has Australian Design Rule approval for sale in Australia and Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited spokesperson Lenore Fletcher told CarAdvice today; ” We are ready and raring to go as soon as we get approval from MMC in Japan.”
The vehicle will be sold to government bodies first, with individual sales to begin next year and Mitsubishi’s first year sales target for the vehicle is 1400 units, which is well ahead of any other full EV being offered for sale.
Mitsubishi says the i-MiEV represents the crystallisation of some 40 years of electric vehicle development at Mitsubishi Motors.
The company is presenting the production i-MiEV as the ultimate eco-car, a solution to the various challenges the automobile faces today including environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of petroleum-based energy supplies.
The company will continue its extensive collaboration with both private and public sectors in Japan and overseas in developing infrastructure to promote ownership of EVs.
Mitsubishi Motors said in a statement that it expects to distribute, on a maintenance lease basis, some 1400 i-MiEV models in 2009 principally to corporations and to local authorities.
The company plans to start sales of i-MiEV to individuals in April 2010 and will start taking orders in late July of this year.
The i-MiEV, a prototype version was driven by CarAdvice in Adelaide a few months ago and we were very impressed, makes maximum use of the long wheelbase that stems from its base model the “i” minicar’s rear-midship layout to install a large capacity lithium-ion drive battery under the floor and the power unit under the luggage compartment.
This provides a cruising range of up to 160 kilometres that is ample for everyday use without compromising the generous seating or luggage space of the “i.”
Mitsubishi makes the disclaimer that actual range will vary depending on weather conditions, road congestion and on how the driver operates his vehicle (use of accelerator, climate control system, etc.).
The production version of the car introduces the MiEV OS (MiEV Operating System) – an advanced integrated vehicle management system into which the company has poured its wealth of know-how garnered from many years of EV research and development – has provided the kind of high performance and reliability that befits a new-generation EV.
The i-MiEV is a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV), which produces no CO2 emissions while being driven.
Even when the CO2 gas emitted at power generating stations is taken into consideration, the i-MiEV generates approximately one-third of the CO2 produced by the petrol “i” minicar (Calculated in-house based on the average of electric energy frameworks in Japan).
Mitsubishi says the i-MiEV delivers the quiet and comfortable motoring experience only possible from an internal combustion engine-less EV, and having driven the car we can only agree.
Maximising the excellent response and high low-end torque inherent to its electric motor i-MiEV enables a level of responsive and powerful performance that surpasses that of the petrol-powered turbo engine “i” minicar.
The i-MiEV produces 47kW between 3000-6000rpm and torque of 180Nm from 0-2000rpm, yes that is from zero rpm.
A nationwide survey in Japan indicates that on average 90% of car drivers cover less than 40 km/day on weekdays and that 80% cover less than 60 km/day at weekends and holidays (in-house research).
The i-MiEV uses a three-way charging system that allows the drive battery to be charged at home or when out and about.
For normal charging i-MiEV is connected to either a standard 100-volt or 200-volt domestic outlet using the charging cables supplied with the vehicle.
The i-MiEV’s battery can also be “quick charged” at quick-charge stations, which are currently being established throughout Japan.
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well they should try them out here as the east coast is recieving a network of charging stations in 2010, which is being provided by a company know as Better Place. They say Oz’s east is like the west in the US so we are a guinea pig of how the Yankees will react. Id like to have one but the price evn with a subisdy
A very practical car for driving to work short range and for doing those daily chores. Will probably cost close to nothing to service since there’s not much really to service.
No doubt we’ll see alot more of these cars in the coming 10 years. Probably too costly at the moment for it to be a serious deal for most people. Will probably cost us quite abit more than 60K if Mitsu decides to launch it here. Also don’t see much guys feeling overly excited about the looks.
All in all, it’s a good start. Future products should be more eye opening.
I had the experience of driving a Prius the other day, and I feel apart from the overly light and loose steering, the biggest detractor was it’s performance off the mark. It was actually a worry until the petrol engine kicked in.
My question is will the iMiev have a similar lack of zest from immediate takeoff? I think a cars ability to accelerate swiftly in front of traffic or accross an intersection relates directly to its safety.
Andrew, this vehicle has 100% of its torque available from
‘0 RMP to 2000 RPM”.
Bloody good little bugger if you ask me and its rear drive too.
That is a good catch, steven, now if only they can make it look even slightly attractive.
Nobody has mentioned the price. Go back to the story and have another look at it. Who is going to buy this thing at that sort of cost?
Oh yes, I know. Government agencies, using your money.
Wow, I understand this is good for the environment and all but that price is crazy.
Not to mention it is terribly ugly.
What a shame because the ideas and principles behind it’s creation are great and this type of vehicle will hopefully be common place sometime soon…. but yeesh, it’s hurting my eyes.
Remember when mobile phones first came out? Big batteries, limited range, expensive to buy. Soon we will be saying the same thing about electric cars. I can’t wait to see what happens to the electric car over the next few years.
The price doesn’t make sense right now.
Even with the savings of not having to use petrol you’ll still be in a loss money wise when compared to an equivalent sub $20,000 petrol hatch over the life of the car.
The thing is though, this car has to sell to help with development for future electric models. Things will get cheaper and better over time.
Ideally an electric car has to be priced just a little higher than a petrol equivalent to make sense. When we reach that price point then they will really take off.
TS you hit the nail on the head, what new technology is cheap. Let the various government departments and hire companies buy them up. Get the market going and watch the price come down over time.
At least its there ready to be sold. Can’t think of any Hydrogen cars which can say the same. 1M USD for a Honda FCX Clarity you’ve got to be kidding me!!
TS, your analogy is flawed. Batteries on mobile phones shrunk dramatically because 1) change from Ni-Mh to Li-ion batteries in the early 90’s, doubling energy density, and 2) advances in integrated circuit fabrication dramatically reduced the power required, hence now we have quite powerful processors in phones that allow us to have the internet and movies on our phones.
Cars are different. We’ve had electric motors for over a century, and they are much higher up the development chain than electronics. You aren’t going to see significant improvement in efficiency, compared to the electronics industry. Likewise with batteries. EV cars are not going to dramatically improve over the next 10 years in relation to performance and range, because the technologies that power them are extremely mature.
Steven, I was to believe that all electric motors produce peak torque from zero rpm, that being the case the Prius takes off in electric mode initially, and lacks the instant bite I’ve come to expect from petrol cars.
I am just wondering, as CA have driven a pre production version, if the iMiev has the same instantaneous lack of performance off the mark?
I hope this doesn’t represent the next 100 years of motoring. It is god damn ugly and I don’t care what Mitsubishi say, the emissions at the power plants will rival a diesel or even a petrol run car.
Also they’d want to invest a few billion in making a battery capable of travelling over 400km at least, otherwise it is practically useless for many a folk in Australia.
As happy as I am to see thm trying, why couldn’t they stick the engine in a lancer, it’d look alot better lol.