Mitsubishi i MiEV First Impressions

I've driven a variety of low-speed electric vehicles, and frankly none of them have imparted automotive characteristics any better than those supplied by a golf cart or the bumper cars we so fondly remember ramming into each other at the fair. Today that changed.

Mitsubishi's little electric people mover is a true plug-in electric vehicle.

What did I drive?
I had the rare opportunity to drive a highway-capable fully electric vehicle that is in every sense of the word, a "car." Mitsubishi's i MiEV is an electrically-powered version of the Mitsubishi i, which is a Japanese kei-class vehicle, meaning it must meet certain diminutive dimensions and not be powered by anything larger than a 660-cc engine.

Mitsubishi engineers removed the i's gas engine and replaced it with a cutting-edge highly sophisticated battery system and electric motor to create the i MiEV, which is short for, Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle. The result is a maintenance-free plug-in electrically powered four-door vehicle capable of keeping up with traffic in town and in the country

Getting a charge into the i MiEV
Mitsubishi's little electric people mover is a true plug-in electric vehicle, which means that it can be plugged in and recharged from the same household electrical outlet that the electric lawnmower sucks juice from. When completely depleted, a full-recharge takes approximately 14 hours.

The i MiEV can also be charged form high-speed charging stations, in which case 30 minutes is sufficient time to fully reload the lithium-ion battery. Driving range has historically been a disadvantage with electric vehicles but Mitsubishi has largely overcome that hurdle with an impressive driving range of 120-160 kilometres depending on speed and other variables.

Mitsubishi's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tomoki Yanagawa tells me that the battery pack is expected to last a minimum of 10-years without any appreciable decline in capacity or function. Through an inverter, the battery powers a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels. There is no transmission or gear reduction in the driveline. The electric motor is capable of spinning up to 7,500 rpm.

Tomoki Yanagawa tells me that the battery pack is expected to last a minimum of 10-years.