Mitsubishi revs up Euro i-MiEV EV production

Last updated Oct 17, 2010 — 15 views

Mitsubishi Motors has begun producing the European-specific version of its i-MiEV electric vehicle. Although Mitsubishi has already been selling the Japanese version of the i-MiEV for about a year, this marks the first first “full-fledged” export of the company’s compact EV.

Mitsubishi says it expects to sell 5,000 i-MiEVs overseas during its 2010 fiscal year (April, 2010 – March, 2011). This number includes specially branded models for Peugeot Citroen: the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-Zero.

“It has been 100 years since mass production of internal combustion-engine cars began,” stated Mitsubishi Motors president Osamu Masuko at a ceremony at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima Plant where the Euro-specific i-MiEV’s will be built.

“We have taken the first step into the next 100 years of the automobile with the i-MiEV,” continued Masuko. “Today, we take the second step with production for the European market on the way to global rollout of electric vehicles. This is a big step for the automobile industry and at the same time signifies the beginning of e-mobility for Europe.”

Mitsubishi plans to sell the i-MiEV in 14 European countries, beginning with France, the U.K., and Germany in December 2010 and expanding to other European countries during 2011.

Compared to the the Japanese version of the i-MiEV, the Euro version (photo at right) has been altered to meet various European requirements, Mitsubishi says. Some of the key modifications, according to the company, include:

  • A different front and rear bumper design
  • added safety features such as an Active Stability Control (ASC) system
  • Modified gear selection
  • An all-new left-hand-drive dashboard

Additionally, the Euro version of the i-MiEV “achieves a cruising range of 150km under the European NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) driving pattern on one charge,” says Mitsubishi.

In related news, California’s PG&E electric utility has been testing evaluating and testing an Japanese-version of the i-MiEV (photo at right) as part of a collaborative effort with Mitsubishi. The utility provider says it’s driving the vehicle “in everyday settings in order to evaluate the viability of the technology.”

Further details on the i-MiEV are available on Mitsubishi’s website, here.
 



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