The electric car battle is now on the move in to a new phase –
mainstream.
Until now, electric cars have been very much an oddity. The laughable
G-Whiz and the Tesla Roadster are interesting in their own way, but
unless you want to look like Noddy’s best friend (G-Whiz) or are happy
to have a second-rate Lotus Elise at three times the price (Tesla),
there wasn’t much to appeal to the normal car buyer. But it’s changing.
Government incentives around the world (the UK EV incentive is years
away), and in particular Japan, are starting to make mainstream EVs a
viable option. But they’re like early plasma screen TVs or VHS tapes in
1981 – way too expensive. And until production reaches a critical mass
they will stay that way. So if you want EVs to become mainstream you
need to offer taxpayer money to cushion the blow a little. And that is
what is driving the new launches.
In the UK we’ve recently seen the Citroen ev’ie, a third party retro-fit
EV solution for the Citroen C1. Waiting in the wings is the Vauxhall
Ampera (although it’s also waiting for technology to make it viable),
and car makers from VW to Koenigsegg are working on their vision of the
EV. Yesterday we reported on the Subaru Stella EV, which is going on
sale in Japan, and you can add to that the Mitsubishi i MiEV.
The Mitsubishi i MiEV is plug-in Li-ion battery powered EV offering a
range of around 100 miles from a seven hour charge from a domestic
socket, or it can be charged to 80% of capacity if plugged in to a
three-phase outlet for 30 minutes. Prices are in the same region as the
Subaru Stella EV at around £30,000, but after the Japanese Government’s
incentives for zero emission vehicles are taken in to account, the price
drops to around £20,000. Still a huge amount for a little car.
But Mitsubishi are being a bit more bullish than Subaru, and are aiming
for sales of around 2,000 cars this year, rising to 5,000 a year after
that. Most of the initial cars will go to companies and the Government,
before consumers start to get their hands on the car later in the year.
Interestingly, Mitsubishi are claiming that the Mitsubishi i MiEV emits
around one third the Co2 of its petrol driven equivalent. But we reckon
that would only apply if the electricity used came from the cleanest of
sources, such as nuclear, solar or wind. If you took the electricity
from a coal-fired power plant we reckon the Co2 would actually be higher
than the emissions on the petrol car. A disingenuous claim by
Mitsubishi, which does nothing to justify the car. Give us the
unambiguous facts, and let us make the decision. Don’t obfuscate.
Still, it’s always good to see the boundaries of technology being
pushed, even if we don’t necessarily agree with the direction or the
justification.
i MiEV (innovative Mitsubishi innovative Electric
Vehicle)
Manufacturer
Mitsubishi
Year Announced
2009
Year Released
2010
Mass Production
Yes
Release Price
AU$68,000
Seating
4
Acceleration 0-60
Top Speed
130km/hr / 80 mph
Range
160km / 100 miles
Power
47kW / 107 HP
Torque
180Nm
Motor Type
single permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on
the rear axle
Battery Type
330V 88 Lithium-ion batteries weighing 200kg
Battery Capacity
16kWh
Battery Life
10-year, 160,000km
Standard Charge Time
7 hours on 15 A/200 V
14 hours on 15 A/100 V
Quick Charge Time
30 minutes to 80 percent full capacity on 3 phase
power.
Hybrid
100% Electric
Weight
1100kg
Climate Control
Air conditioning with an electrically powered
compressor and a heating system which circulates warm water heated by an
electric heater.
Notes
Mitsubishi i-MiEV will be available in the United
Kingdom from January 2011, with a price starting at GBP38,699 (including
17.5% VAT) before deducting incentive of GBP5,000 from the government,
to become one of the first battery cars on the market.
