The latest on the Mistubishi i-MiEV and gallery of the i-MiEV Sport
The all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV is no stranger to us by this point (see links below). Our friends over at Autoblog have snapped a gallery full of pictures of the i-MiEV Sport version that's on display over at the Tokyo Motor Show - access it here.
Tech-On also brings us news that the i-MiEV has been given the go-ahead for field tests and is now much closer to commercial availability. The revamped i-MiEV is quieter, has lighter powertrain components and could be for sale by 2009 with lithium ion batteries. Details available at Tech-On but I'll relay these figures: 160 km range from a full charge that takes 7 hours (220V) or 14 hours (100V).
UPDATE: Domenick makes another good catch, found at the Car Connection, which gives slightly different numbers: "A microwave wireless recharging system is used. The transmitter is housed on the garage floor, and a receiver is mounted under the lithium ion batteries. Recharging takes 17 hours at 100 volts input. Using 200 volts cuts the time in half, and an 80-percent charge can be obtained in 35 minutes with a 200-volt quick charger."
Related:
- The Sun drives the Mitsubishi MiEV and finds it acceptable
- CAR likes the Mitsubishi i-EV even better than the gas version
- Mitsubishi iMiEV gets 20-30 percent more range from new battery
- Tokyo Preview: More official pictures of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV sport
- Mitsubishi's i-EV moving towards production, available perhaps in 2008
[Source: Autoblog, Tech-On, h/t to Domenick]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phil L. 11:29AM (10/26/2007)
I'd love to see something like this in the US. The key factor is meeting US specifications so that it won't be punished with an NEV status...
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Golden Boy 3:41PM (10/26/2007)
so approx 99 miles. a 12 hr overnight charge then would probably be enough for most people to get to work and back.
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bioburner 4:10PM (10/26/2007)
A microwave charging system? Call me old fashioned but I still would like to use a cable.
100 miles on a 16 KWH battery sounds ok to me.
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GoodCheer 6:08PM (10/26/2007)
100 miles on 16 kWh (160 Wh per mile) is commendably low. The Tesla in contrast goes 245 miles on a 52 kWh pack (212 Wh per mile), while the ultra-slippery and ultra-light Aptera is rumored to need 70 Wh per mile.
I suppose being enough slower and enough lighter than a Tesla would get the number down to that level, though the MiEV does not look all that aerodynamic.
I like it either way.
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kert 10:15PM (10/26/2007)
you may like it, but of course "its crap" like mr. Eberhard said. Because .. i dont know, its supposed to ship a year later than the Roadster ?
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Chris M 2:00AM (10/27/2007)
I have my doubts about that "wireless microwave recharging". Such a system would be much more expensive, much less efficient, and a far greater safety risk than a regular cable. Could someone be pulling your leg? Come on, plugging in a cable isn't that hard!
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Domenick 5:26AM (10/27/2007)
I think I may have crossed a couple wires when I tipped this. (No pun intended) (Really) It is the i-MiEV Sport pictured and that is the model with the wireless charging but it is the i-MiEV that will be sold in 2009. This is an improved version of the i-MiEV but not the Sport.
I really like this wireless charging idea. I don't think there is any loss in efficiency. I think it is pretty safe as well since it is all happening under the car. I'm not sure if this is exactly the method used but here is a link discussing wireless electricity.
http://www.physorg.com/news100445957.html
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GoodCheer 10:57AM (10/27/2007)
Two thing occur to me. The EV1 used inductive charging, which is basically the same thing (as far as my understanding of the physics goes). The paddle charger used by the EV1 was covered in plastic (which does not conduct electricity) so it was wireless, but by plugging it into a dedicated slot in the car it became much more efficient.
Which leads to the second thing. The less tightly you control the geometry of this kind of thing, the less efficient it's going to be as more of the eleectro-magnetic radiation goes off in directions other than towards the receiver. So as ChrisM said, what's so hard about plugging in your car at night?
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Joeviocoe 12:53AM (10/29/2007)
And when my cat Furball wanders into the garage...
ZAP!! POOF!!!
Curiosity DOES kill the cat!
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