 Mitsubishi iMiev. Click image to enlarge |
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Mitsubishi iMiev
Vancouver, British Columbia – The electric car is far from dead, and appears to be gaining ground on its competitors in the race to replace the gasoline engine.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is likely to be the first production-ready e-vehicle on Canadian streets. Mitsubishi will start leasing i-MiEVs to corporations and fleets in Japan this July, and a small test-demo fleet will arrive in Vancouver later this year. Retail sales are scheduled to begin in April, 2010 in Japan.
The i-MiEV is an electrified version of an existing Mitsubishi mini-car called the I-car, which has been on sale in Japan for the past three years, powered by a 600-cc gasoline engine.
The i-MiEV can match its gasoline counterpart’s horsepower numbers and provide more torque, but it is 120 kilograms (264 lbs) heavier. It can seat four people and, unlike the majority of electric mini-cars we’ve seen to date, it will meet passenger safety standards and is capable of being driven at freeway speeds.
 Mitsubishi iMiev. Click image to enlarge |
The driving range of the i-MiEV is between 120 and 160 km, on a full charge. It has an onboard charger that, when connected to a 110-volt outlet, will recharge a completely discharged battery in 14 hours. If connected to a 220-volt outlet, that’s cut to seven hours, and there’s also a three-phase quick-charger option that can boost the battery to 80 per cent of its capacity in just 30 minutes.
Mitsubishi claims that the i-MiEV will cut vehicle operating costs by 70 per cent or more, if recharged during off-peak hours. And even taking into account the CO2 emissions generated at electric power plants, it’s still 70 per cent better than a comparable-size gasoline vehicle.
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at 6:42 am
I can’t wait for an affordable electric car to be on sale in Canada! Thanks Bob for the review. Did you have the chance to drive it on the highway?
at 9:43 am
The only downside (aside from the range) is I’ve read the price will be around $45,000 US. A lot of money for what is basically a 4 door Smart.
at 5:00 pm
“So, the iMiEV is not for everyone and a support system, in the form of charging stations, would certainly be beneficial.”
The 110V outlets that we Canadians have in most parking lots to power our block heaters provides this network of “charging stations”, doesn’t it? Or is some kind of special charging terminal required?
at 2:55 am
I love the idea however what about a battery’s typical problems in cold weather. Would these problems make these cars more suitable for southern states in North America.
at 7:17 am
Mitsubishi just announced that plan to cut the vehicle’s purchase price by half by 2010:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aJwG056AVwjI
Dwayne, You are right about 110V outlets. That should cover most charging needs. But if you need to charge in less than 14 hours, you would need higher voltage.
at 2:47 pm
Using block heater plugs might work depending on how your parking lot is set up. A block heater is only drawing 3 to 5 amps depending on the type while the charger will draw roughly 11 to 14 amps.
Plugging in more the a few electric cars will start blowing breakers.
There would also have to be a way to charge the owner for the power he is using. I’m quite sure most stratas and companies don’t want to pick up the bill for other peoples power useage.
at 9:51 am
Bob, can you name a vehicle that is for everyone?
The average commute is 15Km, so this EV is plenty for most. I predict the next model will have a smaller battery and a 60Km range — lighter, cheaper, still enough for most.
I’ve called my local dealer but they do not take orders for now.
at 8:04 am
I am a big fan of electrics. Considering the average person only drives about 80 klms a day, then the 120 klm average ain’t bad for a commuting vehicle. And lets not forget that this is what we have here. You want to take a trip to the cottage then you use the SUV in the garage or rent a car for the weekend. I would guess that 90% of the driving we do in a year is to work and shopping…kids sports etc. With better batteries and new capacitor technology on the horizon promising fast charge times; I can see electrics fulfilling most of our driving needs.
at 10:47 am
I wonder how much power will remain in batteries if it sits for 8 hours in the parking lot on -20 C?