Mitsubishi Motors Announces Electric Car
Monday, October 13th, 2008Mitsubishi Motors has announced plans to start selling its iMiEV, the world’s first commercial electric car that runs entirely on electricity.
A plug-in hybrid would let drivers operate the car for longer distances by allowing them to plug in for a recharge.
Unlike hybrids and plug-in hybrids, purely electric cars are seen as primarily suitable for short-distance driving in cities.
The production of an electric car has been held back by the high costs and limited lives of batteries.
At The recent Paris Auto show Mitsubishi Motors Corp said it will begin testing its electric cars in Europe next month.
The four-seater i-MiEV hatchback is based on Mitsubishi’s “i” gasoline-engine minicar sold only in Japan.
Mitsubishi wants to be the pioneers of the zero-emission vehicles.
Running purely on electricity, electric cars have no tailpipe emissions.
There are 440 pounds worth of lithium-ion battery packs under the floor for stability and the electric motor in the rear.
Acceleration is also superior to a gasoline engine thanks to a high-performance motor that generates high torque from a low speed.
But demand would depend largely on the car’s price, which consists mostly of next-generation lithium-ion batteries.
Electric cars are one-tenth the operating cost of a gasoline car if charged at night when electricity is cheaper.
With a a full battery and a top speed of 80 miles an hour, the i-MiEV has a cruising distance of 89.5 miles.
Charging takes about seven hours using a 200-Volt outlet, Quick-charger stations could reduce that to less than an hour.
There is no target Date for the appearance in the US for arrival at Mitsubishi Dealerships.
