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.
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.
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| 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. |