Technology: Mitsubishi Miev

City Commuter Special

Review and Photos by Gerry Frechette

Electric cars have been around as long as the car itself, over 100 years. The issues with electrics have always been major ones. Things like cost, range, cold-weather performance, speed, weight, and charging time all go to the heart of the ownership experience. But, as in most fields, modern technology has a way of making large concerns into smaller ones.

The lithium-ion battery is the game-changer for the auto industry, and while we hear mostly about plug-in hybrids that will deliver the range of a gasoline-powered car, many people only need a city car for commuting, with a shorter range. A car like the Mitsubishi iMiEV (pronounced eye-meev), which stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle.

Based on the gas-powered i model sold in Japan for a few years, the iMiEV is a pure electric, powered by Li-I batteries which are lighter, more powerful and take much less time to charge than the old-tech batteries. Charging time from full discharge ranges from 14 hours at 110V, through 7 hours at 220V, right down to 30 minutes via a “Quick Charger” that will be supplied.

Driving the iMiEV is much like any other sub-compact car, with the exception of instantaneous, maximum torque right from rest, which is the feature that all electric motors have always delivered. Given that torque is crucial for overall performance in real-world conditions, the iMiEV is well-suited for a city environment, which it is designed for.

With a projected range of 120 km (depending on terrain and temperature) and top speed of 130 km/h, the iMiEV would be an ideal commuter car from the close-in suburbs to the downtown of any Canadian city. The cost of a charge-up would be about $2.00.

On the other hand, the projected cost of the car when introduced in Japan this year will be nearly twice that of the gas-powered version, about $35,000 or so, illustrating that Li-I batteries will cost a lot when they come to market. But if you are saving $10 or $15 per day just in fuel, the numbers just might add up over the life of the car.

Look for the iMiEV to be launched here as soon as late 2010.

Specifications:

MSRP: ————————– Unknown
Vehicle Layout: —————– Rear motor, RWD
Engine: ——— Permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
Transmission: ——————- Direct drive
Horsepower: ——————– 63
Seating Capacity: ————— 4
Curb Weight: ——————- 1,080 kg
0-100 km/h: ——————- 10 secs approx
Maximum Speed: ————— 130 km/h
Fuel Economy L/100 KM city/hwy: - 0.0/0.0