Didn't see anything posted about this (at least not recently). Looks promising, although it still needs a longer usable range (currently only 60 miles). Still beats the Volt, though, I guess: Edmunds: Mitsubishi i MIEV Plug-in Electric First Drive
It's great they are doing research. This might be fine for a third car for trips to the store, but my guess is hybrids are the near term answer to daily driving. I do mean hybrids like the Prius or better, though, and not feel-good "fake" hybrids, like the big Lexus or the Malibu.
If they could keep the price down, something like this holds the potential of being a viable alternative to other ultra-compact 'urban-oriented' vehicles like the Smart fortwo, particularly if there were some sort of infrastructure in place for plug-in charging at destinations.
Said it before in another thread, but I like it, the fact that it looks so funny and out of place with cars makes me like it even more. The more cars we get on the road that look "silly"/"funny"/"toy-like" the more they will get accepted for their purpose, to drive people/items from point A to point B not to look good.
What only 60 miles per charge? I used to sell / lease the Rav4 EV years ago that gave you commuters 110~120 miles per charge. That was back then with Toyota's "Old technology" The technology advances in quatum leaps and bounds, so newer 2010 technology should give at least 200 miles per charge..
Was that in actual practice or the theoretic maximum they were supposed to get? 60 miles is what Edmunds said they got before they had to go back. I think that Mitsibushi said the usable range was 100 miles, meaning the maximum range was probably a bit higher. At least, I hope it was higher if the old RAV4 would go 110~120 miles per charge in real-world use. Maybe the larger size of the RAV4 meant it had a lot more room for the battery than the MIEV, which looks pretty diminutive in comparison, almost like the tiny Tata Nano that is supposed to eventually be available in India for $2500.
The article said 100 miles under ideal conditions i.e. without using the A/C. Probably also means without heat. Limited range and long charge time is what caused cars such as the EV1 and electric RAV4 to sell poorly from a production volume POV. Most people don't have the money or space for a 'third' car and for a lot of people 60 miles between charges just doesn't cut it. 14 hours at 100V means it won't even have time to fully charge if you come home at 8 PM and leave for work at 8 AM. Of course that is worst case, meaning it was pretty dead when you got home. So, not a bad idea, but nothing that wasn't available a decade ago and in larger vehicles. I still see a plug-in hybrid with 50-60 miles between charges as the better solution since you have no actual maximum range. If people were able to recharge at work, even if it was metered so the company didn't pay, 50 miles would probably cover most everyone's daily commute.
Not just at work. The key to acceptance of plug-ins (of any type) is getting the infrastructure in place for easy (and cheap) recharging away from home. Something along the lines of parking meters where it costs you $.25 for a finite amount of charging time. I suspect that's one of the main reasons that gasoline powered vehicles eventually overtook all other types when gas stations became ubiquitous across the landscape. Likewise, when recharging ports become commonplace, plug-ins will, too.
evnut.com. all the anwers and then some. All EV myths debunked. Darrelldd is the man. check it out. you won't be disappointed. Well, once you've read the disheartening demise of EVs...you'll know a bit more than Fox news. Who Killed the Electric Car dvd. Rent it. buy it. get your friends and neighbors copies.
Now Mitsubishi is saying their EV, the i-MiEV may be ready by 2009 !! Mitsubishi expects the pricing to be appx $24,800 U.S. and, if you want one? Then enough of us better let Mitsubishi know. Here's a survey to see if folks in the U.S. want it: Japanese Mitsubishi iMiEV videos hint at production versions - AutoblogGreen So far only 1,000 or more have said yes.
An update on the iMiEV from Geneva, range now up to 120 miles: Geneva 2009: Mitsubishi iMiEV Sport Air Like the concept and the car... can't stand the chosen color... Zzzz I'm one of the 1,000 survey respondents. Mitsubishi, it's very simple: build it, import it, and I will buy it. If you need a beta-tester, PM me.
I just signed the petition - now with 120 mile range and 80 HP - not too shabby. I would buy one at 24K.
More pictures of the basic 4 door iMiEV and the 2door variant, the Sport Air, here: VIDEO: i MiEVs flog Mitsubishi's Drive@earth message Each gallery has lots of pix. Also, 3 videos that are mostly animations, and IMHO pretty lame. A nagging doubt is now troubling me. It has to do with how big, or more to the point how small this Sport Air is. When I first saw prerelease picures of the P/T Cruiser, I imagined it was the size of a minivan. The car was never pictured with actual, real-sized people, never. In real life it turned out to be much smaller. Well I've seen no pictures of the Sport Air-- at least one car actually exists -- with a person in the shot. I imagine the Sport Air being roughly the size of a Gen II Prius, maybe a little smaller. But now I'm beginning to wonder. Maybe its on wheelbase comparable to the original Insight with commensurate height and width -- in a word, small. Although I have said I will buy one of these ASAP, I'm tempering my enthusiasm pending verification of its actual size. My offer to beta-test the car still stands though.
I've seen it (posted here last month) http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hybrid-news/58329-electric-vehicle-news-new-zealand.html Thought the Hyundai looked like a better (more realistic) vehicle, and its available for purchase now.
It looks like the iMiEV is soon to be seen driving about in Australia: Mitsubishi's i MiEV Electric Vehicle Hits the Road "The Mitsubishi i MiEV Motorcade is covering special events, public demonstrations, specialist briefings and individual drive experiences for key government officials, fleet managers, environmental opinion leaders, the media and select members of the general public." It would be cool if patsparks could get his hands on one as one of the "select members of the general public." Unfortunately, no additional news on the Sport Air, the two door version.
More graphics of the 2-door, iMIEV Sport Aire: AutoblogGreen - iMIEV Concept Car I love the look of this concept car -- yeah, it might be all smoke and mirrors... airware, I think it is called. It is loveably outrageous. It says, "Change is needed, here and now." It makes no concessions to conventional "style," just like the Gen II Prius did, only better. HEY! Yeah, I'm talkin' to YOU. Lest you think the shape is merely styling gone mad, here is a video of Craig Vetter's brother with a remarkably simple demonstration of the aerodynamic slipperyness of the classic tear-drop shape: http://www.craigvetter.com/Movies/Streamlined_test.mov I don't know if he's got a good handle on the forces acting on the shape; air pressure acting on the front of the "car," or drag forces at the back. At any rate, it has the same cross sectional area going either way and something very different is at work when the shape is reversed in the air flow. (I also wonder if there are interactions between the shape and the tube due its small diameter and minimal clearance. There is no connection between the video and the iMIEV. It coincidentally uses the approximate right shape and I've independently used it as a video-of-opportunity. I have no connection whatsoever with either Mitsubishi or the Vetters.) The iMIEV's shape also has a close resemblance to the high-zoot bicycle Time Trialer's helmet: time trial helmets - Google Image Search Mitsubishi, you desperately need a beta tester/driver in Ballamer, Merlin. I'll fly to LA or where ever to pick it up. Don't worry, I'm sure I can find enough kindred spirits to drive across the country and keep it charged up, no matter the range, or charging voltage. (Gee, I hope it's 220v AC charging capable for fast turn-around. :rockon: )
