Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles
Mitsubishi’s MiEV technology is the culmination of four decades of research and development. Back in 1971, Mitsubishi built the Minica EV – their first electric vehicle. It was put to the test in Japan as Mitsubishi provided power companies and government with over 1,000 Minica EVs.
As time progressed, Mitsubishi created more electric vehicle models and continued to refine battery and motor technologies. Mitsubishi created the Mini Cab EV, Delica EV, Minica Econo EV, Lidero EV and the Expo plug-in hybrid electric vehicle all before the mid 1990s. That’s when a key transition took place from lead batteries to higher performance lithium ion battery packs that could charge faster, more reliably, and last longer.
Mitsubishi’s first mass-produced EV for non-fleet customers came in the form of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (called the Mitsubishi i in North America). The Mitsubishi i of today is the result of multiple innovations in all electric tehnology. It began testing in Japan as early as 2007 and the production version hit the streets of Japan in the summer of 2009. In the USA, protoype versions of the Mitsubishi i first appeared at the New York Auto Show in march 2008. Mitsubishi began selling the i electric vehicle at the end of 2011. Since it’s launch, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has sold more than 2000 units in Japan alone.
Mitsubishi EV Forums
Mitsubishi i-Miev
The Mitsubishi i-Miev has been available in Japan and some other countries since 2009. It has a proven track record that Mitsubishi hopes will give it an advantage in North America. The North American version of the Mitsubishi i-Miev is called the Mitsubishi i, and it doesn’t just have a new name. The Mitsubishi i has been widened and lengthened by a few inches to increase interior room.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid has a 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder engine paired with an electric powertrain derived from the Mitsubishi i MiEV. Mitsubishi’s target is 44 MPG in hybrid mode and an all electric range of 37 miles. Sales are slated to begin in Japan in 2013, and Europe in July 2013. The US version is set to go on sale in January 2014.