Mitsubishi's i-EV moving towards production, available perhaps in 2008
While there are electric cars available today, no large automaker is offering one. Mitsubishi might just be the first out of the gate with a plug-in car (not a hybrid) called the i-EV (aka i-MiEV). If sources withing the company are telling The Daily Telegraph in Australia the truth, the small electric car could be on sale as early as next year. Apparently, the electric "i" is off the concept stand and onto the streets as an evaluation vehicle. Mitsubishi has been working on this car for a while (see the collection of links below), so it's not crazy talk to suggest it will be available in 2008.
What kind of numbers might the i-MiEV boast? The Daily Telegraph says a 160 km (100 mile) range and a top speed of 130 km/h (about 80 mph). Standard home charging will happen overnight, but a 3-phase 200 volt 50kW QuickCharger will give you an 80 percent charge in half an hour.
Unfortunately, the Daily Telegraph story is only available on Lexis-Nexis, as far as I can tell, so no link.
Gallery: Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport for Tokyo
Related:
- Tokyo Preview: More official pictures of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV sport
- Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport
- Brits might get Mitsubishi's all-electric i-Miev in 2011
- Mitsubishi delivers i MIEV to Chugoku Electric Power Co.
- Mitsubishi abandons in-wheel motors for electric car, still no plans to bring it to the U.S.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ruben 7:07AM (8/30/2008)
if they move to production in 2008 that will only be in japan i guess, and then next year in europe, we will see, im folowing electric cars for few months now imiev is really the best one.
Most research is done by mitsubishi and they are testing alot more then other companies like GM.
http://imiev.freehostia.com/
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Mikael Johansson 10:24AM (9/28/2007)
Nice to see Mitsubishi walking the wise way to meet the mobility of the future. EV:s is the only way to go.
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Tush 12:01PM (9/28/2007)
Will this be available in the US?
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MDarling 12:25PM (9/28/2007)
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I'm not 100% certain, but pretty sure that the side impact issue referenced below would be an issue in the US as well.
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
September 28, 2007 Friday
CarsGuide Edition
SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 14
LENGTH: 661 words
HEADLINE: Plugging into electric dreams
BYLINE: KEVIN HEPWORTH
BODY:
Mitsubishi's latest ''plug and play'' toy is moving closer to a production future. The i-EV (innovative electric vehicle), which is based on the cute-as-a-button ''i'' mini-car, has moved from motor show concept to street evaluation vehicle with sources within Mitsubishi now suggesting it could be on sale as early as next year.
Mitsubishi has been refining the the i-EV in association with Japan's largest power companies and gathering data on the practicality of a fully-electric rechargeable battery vehicle.
Running a high capacity lithium-ion battery pack which sits under the passenger cell, the i-EV's target range is 160km on a single charge with a top speed of 130km/h.
The batteries can be recharged by either plugging the car into a home mains connection overnight or through a QuickCharger -- a 3-phase 200 volt 50kW power pack that can boost the battery pack to 80per cent of capacity in 30 minutes.
The lightweight high-efficiency electric motor, with an output of 47kW and 180Nm, is both quieter and more powerful than the 660cc engine in the petrol ''i'' car.
A quick spin in the little electric car at Mitsubishi's Tokachi proving ground in Hokkaido showed just how close to being production ready the i-EV is. All but indistinguishable from the outside and barely so from the interior except for the differing dash display, the i-EV is a hoot to drive.
Eerily quiet with maximum torque from the instant the throttle is pressed, the i-EV is quick off the mark and handles just like its petrol brethren. Despite the weight of the batteries the i-EV weighs just under 100kg more than the petrol car and is packaged to fit four adults in reasonable comfort.
While the electric version of the ''i'' may be some way off, there is a confidence that the petrol version will find its way into Australia after being well received at the Melbourne motor show in March this year.
''The door is definitely not closed on that car,'' Mitsubishi's Lenore Fletcher says. ''We had a very positive response to showing the car in Melbourne and Robert [Mitsubishi Australia's president and chief executive Robert McEniry] is very keen to get it for Australia.''
The car has been a runaway success in the 12 months it has been on sale in Japan.
It is understood that an initial issue with the narrow-bodied Japanese version of the ''i'' not meeting Australian design rules for side intrusion, because of the absence of side intrusion beams in the doors, could be solved as early as next month with a wider ''i'' expected to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show.
''As always ... price is the key but it would be a perfect car to slot in under the Colt,'' Fletcher says.
The ''i'' is powered by a rear-mounted mid-engine turbocharged 660cc three-cylinder Mivec engine, driving the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic. The engine is a shared development with the smart ForTwo and develops 47kW and 94Nm with a top speed of 144km/h while tipping the scales at just 900kg.
Mitsubishi will show its diesel-powered Concept ZT, which could well preview the eventual design course for the 380 family car, and the Concept-cX -- which shows the future for Mitsubishi's compact SUVs -- at the Tokyo show.
Concept-ZT is powered by a new fuel-efficient, 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 140kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated to a new Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission.
The sleek family car puts an emphasis on safety with a lane-drift warning system that steers the car back into the lane, all-around multi-monitors, automatic parking function and a pop-up hood to reduce pedestrian injury.
It also has a pre-crash safety system that uses millimetre-length radar waves to detect cars ahead and obstacles in the adjacent lane.
The wedge-shaped Concept-cX compact SUV is powered by a new 1.8-litre diesel engine producing 100kW of power and 280Nm of torque, mated to the Twin Clutch SST.
It is driven by a four-wheel-drive-based integrated vehicle dynamics control system used in the Outlander.
LOAD-DATE: September 27, 2007
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iDevin 12:27PM (9/28/2007)
I really hope we get this car in the states, I've always liked the design of the i anyways - it's like a futuristic and slightly more practical version of the Smart. Unfortunately I think it'd be awhile before that happens since Mitsubishi is about to start selling the petrol i in Australia (if memory serves) and has had to re-engineer it to meet the Australian safety code. I believe they've had to make it wider.
Still, if Smart is willing to re-engineer for the US and if Mitsubishi will re-engineer for Australia then hopefully they will see that these would do well in the US and go ahead.
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kert 12:41PM (9/28/2007)
Its not just Mitsu. Subaru has R1E in the works, and Nissan is working on the Mixim.
I have said this many times. Dont expect the big innovations to come from big players. GM may or may not be serious about Volt, or they may be blowing smoke. Toyota may or may not be dragging their feet, jumping to the lithium powered PHEV wagon.
However, the three car companies above, although established ans successful in their niches, are a bit of underdogs in global market, and maybe are in tight position forced to innovate, take nontraditional risks and survive.
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Tony Belding 3:57PM (9/28/2007)
It looks to me an awful lot like the Think City car.
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mike 8:17PM (9/28/2007)
The electric looks interesting for a daily commuter car.
What kind of mpg do the gas and diesel get?
Will the U.S. get ANY version of this car?
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SPG 1:26PM (10/01/2007)
I'd love one for my commute.
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