Mitsubishi i-MiEV Production EV goes on sale!

A 160km range on the Japanese 10-15 urban mode driving pattern, a 7 hour 200V charge time, 30 minutes on a 200V 3-phase quick charger, and LED headlamps and tail lamps to add a finishing touch. You’ve just read the spec sheet of the new production Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV, a production electric car that has just gone on lease by Mitsubishi for nearly 4.6 million Yen inclusive of consumption tax.

That’s nearly RM165k, and with the taxes you have here in Malaysia it could end up pretty darn pricey. But it does have a lithium ion battery, which is more advanced than the nickel-base ones that go into most hybrid and EVs these days.

The battery which consists of 88 li-ion cells connected in series is installed under the floor, and the 64 PS 180Nm electric motor which is mated to a single-gear transmission is installed under the luggage compartment. Yes, like the regular combustion engine Mitsubishi i, it uses a rear midship layout.

Mitsubishi will be preparing 1,400 cars for leasing this year, mainly to corporations and local authorities. Individual leases are expected to begin in April 2010, but order-taking will begin in July 2010. Look after the jump for a video of the i-MiEV’s test run through the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route surrounded by 3,000-meter-high mountains.

Check out the webpage http://evmotorists.tel/ from Schiesser MacLeod Webprojects.

evmotorists.tel