Mitsubishi Concept-CT Hybrid

Despite its show-car propor­tions – huge 20-inch wheels pushed to the extreme outer corners of the body – Mitsubishi’s Concept-CT pictured here is actually a realistic look at how a car cast in the automaker’s MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel Electric Vehicle) technology mold might take shape. It takes the more practical – for today, anyway – hybrid approach, with an electric motor at each wheel powered by a high energy density lithium-ion battery pack. Batteries are charged by a 54 horsepower generator connected to a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine that sits behind the rear passen­gers but ahead of the rear axle line for optimum weight distribution. A unique transmission allows some of the engine’s 67 horsepower to drive the rear wheels directly for a parallel/series hybrid arrangement that is similar to many of today’s hybrids.

A key difference is that the electric motors at the front allow all-wheel-drive without the need for a center differential, driveshaft, or front-wheel half-shafts, opening the door for new design pos­sibilities. The large frontal crush zone is optimized for better crash worthiness. A flat floor creates an open, airy feeling in the interior, enhanced by “floating” bench seats. With the engine at the back, lug­gage can be stowed under the hood.

Individual wheel control offers some intriguing performance possibilities – think computer controlled all-wheel-drive, advanced traction control, and the like – and also frees up space and reduces weight by eliminating much of the mechanical drivetrain. Better yet, the technology is adaptable to a variety of power sources from the hybrid approach forwarded here to pure battery power and fuel cells.

Inside, the interior of the Concept-CT is strictly concept-car fare. Its main con­trols take inspiration from motorcycle forks, supported by a structure fashioned in parallel strips. A wide screen displays the navigation system, rear- and side-mirror views, and entertainment informa­tion. The thin center console features a touch pad computer interface and a fin­gerprint-reading security key.

The car’s candy yellow-orange exterior – penned by Mitsubishi’s California design studio – is a bit outlandish, too. The wide, squat, forward-leaning stance conveys a bulldog-like aggressiveness, helped in no small way by the miniscule front and rear overhangs made possible by the simplified electric motor drivetrain. The Concept-CT continues some familiar cues that we’ve seen on other Mitsubishi design studies of late, such as the headlight and grille arrangement plus sharp body creases, suggesting we could see certain elements of this look in future production vehicles.

Will the MIEV system ever see the light of day? Mitsubishi is hard at work test­ing the technology in two pure electric prototypes, and we sure hope to see this automaker make its goal of fielding pure electrics by 2010. But all things consid­ered, we’re betting the hybrid solution presented by the Concept-CT will hit the highway first.