MItsubishi i goes electric

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What is it?

The i-MiEV's name says it all: this is the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. If it looks familiar that's because it's based on the petrol-powered i, Mitsubishi's four-seat city car built to the Japanese 'Kei car' regulations. That means its narrow but tall, Mitsubishi managing to eke out a sensational amount of interior space thanks to packaging all the mechanicals under the floor at the rear. In the i-MiEV the conventional petrol three-cylinder engine and fuel tank are replaced by an electric motor, lithium-ion batteries and an inverter. Outwardly it looks exactly the same as its petrol relative, except in the i-MiEV there's no tailpipe - meaning no emissions.

Is it any good?

Key to the future acceptance of electric cars is that they need to be at least as good as existing, conventionally-fuelled cars. In many respects the i-MiEV is better. The electric drivetrain delivers a 0-62mph time that's quicker than the petrol car, and at town speeds it feels much livelier too. With just one gear it's an absolute cinch to drive, and quiet as well, with only a slight hum accompanying your progress. In really slow traffic you can conserve power by reducing output to just 18kW by selecting the Eco mode. Get out of town and into hillier areas and select B on the transmission to increase the energy scavenged from freewheeling and braking.

It's all very simple really and feels little different to driving a conventional car. The range, if driven very sensibly, is 80-100 miles, but start heading towards its 87mph top speed and you'll be looking for a plug much sooner than that. It can be fully charged in around six hours from a domestic socket or to 80% of a full charge in 20-minutes - if you happen to be in Japan at a quick-charging point. To do those 80-100 miles you'll only use around 45 pence worth of electricity, too.

Should I call the bank manager?

It might be super cheap to top up the i-MiEV's batteries, but it won't be cheap to buy. Despite Mitsubishi taking part in a battery joint venture and a dedicated production facility, the first i-MiEVs will be like all new technology - expensive. Indeed, they're likely to be so pricey that for all but the wealthiest of customers leasing will be the only option. A figure of £750 a month is currently being touted about, which is still very expensive for a four-seat city car, but should allow early adopters to get behind the wheel of Mitsubishi's green machine. As production numbers increase, costs will inevitably fall, those people who are prepared to buy/lease the first cars doing us all a favour in the long run. Mitsubishi is pushing for serious tax breaks for the i-MiEV too, which could help reduce costs, and for wealthy London commuters it'll be congestion charge free - potentially saving £160 a month in charges.

Summary

Mitsubishi is the first manufacturer to offer a genuine four-seat, plug-in electric car that has been crash tested and has an existing dealer network. Its range and performance is enough for the average commute and though it currently looks expensive, costs will fall in time. An opportunity to drive the future today, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV demonstrates there's plenty of life left in the car yet, though to ensure credibility as a genuine green star you'll need to make sure you source your electricity from a CO₂-friendly source.

Kyle Fortune