The i-MiEV, Mitsubishi’s entry into the electric vehicle industry is scheduled to be available in the US market “before 2012” as Mitsubishi officials put it. Latest update has it that the UK will be the first recipient of 50 of the all electric, zero emission cars by November and an additional 150 units are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2010. MSRP of the i-MiEV in the UK will be in somewhere in the range of $30,000-$50,000-batteries included. Reports also have it that Mitsubishi will be supplying the PSA/Puegot-Citroen Group with the cars as early as next year and possibly as many as 10,000 units by 2011. But this has yet to be officially confirmed.
What has been confirmed is Mitsubishi’s intention of increasing production of the i-MiEV to 20,000 units a year. Aside the above announcement was Mitsubishi’s partnering with both the State of Oregon and Portland General Electric, its primary supplier of power, to develop an infrastructure of charging station for the i-MiEV and other electric cars electric cars.
Powered by lithium-ion batteries specifically built for automobiles, the i-MiEV has a top speed of 81mph and can travel 81 miles on a single charge. Produced through a joint venture among GS Yuasa, Mitsubishi Corporation, Lithium Energy Japan, and Mitsubishi Motors, the batteries could be the determining factor as to how many cars Mitsubishi can actually produce. John Koenig, Mitsubishi’s North American Vice President for Operations said “Right now, GS Yuasa is our source of batteries, through the joint venture we’ve done with them. I think 10, – or 12,000 is the maximum volume at the beginning. We’re working on figuring out a way to get greater battery production, but that’s going to mean an investment in a plant somewhere to produce more. We haven’t made a decision on where that plant would be located, whether that be in Japan or North America or Europe. That’s the biggest decision right now.” Find out the latest at your San Antonio Mitsubishi Dealer

The Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle or i-MiEV was formally unveiled at the New York Auto Show last month.
Also announced was Mitsubishi’s plan to bring the all electric vehicle to the US before 2012.

On display at the auto show was an i-MiEV outfitted with a left hand drive.
On the inside, one can hardly tell that this is an electric vehicle.

According to Mitsubishi engineers, the unique midship architecture of the i-MiEV allowed for seamless integration under the floor board, luggage compartment and seats of the new components.

Directly under the flooring are the 1-MiEV’s battery pack that consists of 22 modules of four cells each which can be installed either vertically or transversely depending on the requirements.

The batteries are proprietary lithium-ion purpose built for automobiles.

They’re made by a joint venture among GS Yuasa, Mitsubishi Corporation, Lithium Energy Japan, and Mitsubishi Motors.

Capable of a range of approximately 80 miles on a single charge, the advanced lithium-ion batteries are fully charged after 12-14 hours using a standard 110 volt outlet or half that on a 220 volt outlet.

The i-MiEV on board charger will automatically adapt between the two voltages whenever needed.

There is also a fast charger that can charge the battery to 80% of its capacity in 30 minutes.
There are several units already in use by the Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric but these are for evaluation purposes only.

Being right hand drive cannot legally be sold in North America plus they were never meant to meet US safety or equipment standards.

Ride wise, overall was a “pleasant” experience. With four adults, it did keep up with the traffic-perfect for the urban environment but I would not want (or dare?) take it cross country.

A friend who was a bit over six feet had a few more inches of headroom to spare.

See the i-MieV at San Antonio’s Mitsubishi Dealer

Walking around in San Antonio, Texas a couple of weeks ago, I found myself looking at a display in one of the car dealerships.

Something caught my eye. I noticed the front bumper of a Mitsubishi Lancer that had a slightly different look to it.

It had a rather unique and “aggressive” look to it.

On closer inspection I realized what I was looking at was the 09 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Think of 09 Lancer Ralliart this way: it’s more than a Lancer GTS but not an Evo X, performance wise at least.

It’s sort of like an in between or a toned down Evo X.

The Ralliart is powered by the same turbocharged 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder, turbocharged 16-valve MIVEC4 engine as the Evo X but for want of a better word, “downgraded” to just 236 hp as compared to the X’s 295 hp.

It also has full time 4WD which features Active Center Differential or ACD uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch center differential that shifts drive torque to either the front or rear based on the type of driving conditions in order to achieve the best balance between steering response and traction characteristics be it asphalt, snow or gravel surfaces.

The Ralliart aside from the uniquely designed front bumper also distinguishes itself by its lightweight aluminium ducted hood that allows cool air to flow to the turbocharger, rear air dam, rear bumper cover and dual outlet mufflers.

On the inside you find hands free telephone interface, FAST key, easily accessible steering column mounted paddle shifter and it also has the same Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission or TC-SST as the X.

Optional are a 30 GB Hard Drive Navigation system, a power sunroof, Recaro seats, 650 watt Rockford Fosgate 9-speaker audio system, HID headlights and a Sirius satellite radio.

You should swing by the San Antonio Mitsubishi Dealership and have a look for yourself.

I had my heart set on buying a 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse but was shocked to see the true cost to own figures. Is this for real and is there any way around it? I live in Costa Mesa CA.
First of all great choice! The Mitsubishi Eclipse be it the 3.8L 6cyl 5 speed automatic or the 6 speed manual transmission. Both are great energetic rides.
The TCO or True Cost to Own is actually a more realistic price. It considers aside from what you paid initially what you will pay in the next 5 years of owning, operating and maintaining the vehicle. In the TCO, the costs of fuel, insurance, financing, maintenance and such are taken into consideration. You mentioned that you live in Costa Mesa. The TCO for the 6cyl 5 speed automatic is estimated at $56,375 and $55,261 for the 6 speed manual transmission over a five year period.
Based on the TCO, the biggest hit you’ll take is in the first year especially on depreciation. Both types will depreciate by more than $7500 in the first year alone. Financing, insurance and naturally fuel are also going to be high all throughout.
The only way around this is to sell the car after a year or so but then again this isn’t really the answer is it? Personally I would not be too shocked at the sums. Think of it as operating expenses. A car is not like a jacket that you just buy and wear. But then again it still costs to have it dry cleaned or mended right? The only real way to keep costs down is regular, proper maintenance and not always putting the pedal to the metal. Then again that’s no fun, is it?

How many of you out there when shopping for a car couldn’t understand half of what the dealer was saying? “Engine torque of this model…” or “And this has a displacement of…” Sounds familiar?
Recently I was at a Mitsubishi dealer in town and got the same script. I was just wondering if he really thought that the average car buyer actually understands what he’s talking about. So for the benefit of myself and millions of others who just really want a good looking, value for your money, comfortable, safe and probably fast car, I decided to create a series of posts dedicated to the most common terms we hear, nod and say “that’s great!” but most probably have no idea what they’re talking about. Also included are some assumptions and/or misconceptions.
Base curb weight- Simply put this is how much your car or vehicle weighs. Sans passengers, cargo optional equipment/accessories. But this does include a full tank of fuel and all the oils and fluids necessary to run/operate the vehicle. Having said all this, it doesn’t mean that the lighter the car, the faster it will go. A lot of factors go into the speed of the vehicle. The car maybe light but if the engine isn’t powerful enough i.e., horsepower to weight ratio then some kid on a BMX might just pass leave you behind. A proper example of correct power to weight ratio is the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. It is powered by a 3.8li V6 MIVEC engine that produces 265 hp and can propel the 3545 lb. car from 0-60mph in under 60 seconds.
Displacement- Basically it’s how much air-fuel mixture is drawn in during a engine cycle.
More to follow.