Mitsibishi’s MIEV is their entry into the electric car arena, today Mitsubishi are celebrating their first batch (only 20) arriving down under. According to reports on Facebook, there’s 70 more MIEV’s on the way before the end of 2010. The vehicles are already in high demand, with Mitsubishi already having more than 300 applications for the vehicle. Unfortunately electric enthusiasts can’t buy any of this first batch, but there will be an opportunity to get hands on.
The Motor Report says – “Mitsubishi initially built just 2000 i-MiEV cars in 2009, growing by another 5000 this year. By 2015, Mitsubishi expects to be producing 30,000 units each year.” For those keen to experience the MIEV, it will be available for consumer test drives during the International Motor Show in Sydney, which runs from October 15th to 24th.
If your not familiar with the MIEV, check out the specs below.
- Fully electric, Zero emissions, Whisper quiet
- 4 door, 2 Wheel drive
- 47KW, 180Nm torque
- Up to 160km range
- ABS brakes, Dual front airbags, Traction control
- A full recharge takes around 7 hours (using 240V trickle charge)
- Fast charging stations allow 0 to 80% in 30 minutes (using 3 Phase 200V 50kW fast charge)
The Premier of Victoria, the Honourable John Brumby, shakes hands with Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited CEO and President Masahiko Takahashi, at the event in Melbourne’s East Webb Dock.
Image credit: Mitsubishi Motors Australia
A key component to any electric vehicle’s success is certainly the infrastructure require to recharge quickly (or Fast recharge centres). While the 160km range would work great for day-to-day use, a longer trip, say Wodonga to Melbourne (around 320km) would require a charge station along the way. This will likely take government investment to encourage privatised petrol stations to install the required recharge bays. Interestingly Mitsubishi announced they would bring the MIEV to Australia over a year ago, in order to allow this infrastructure to built before they hit our shores. Well apparently that hasn’t really occurred.
Image source: Wikipedia
Mitsubishi are clearly not the only vehicle manufacturer in the electric car market, there’s now an offering from almost all the major players. The Mitsubishi MIEV, the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf have all arrived as a response to the market leader in electric cars – Tesla Motors, but the concept dates back to the 1800’s. One of the key issues has been the performance of the Lithium Ion battery technology used.
For more information on the MIEV, check out Mitsubishi’s dedicated site called ‘Weclome to tomorrow’.
