Mitsubishi Tests Electric Car in U.S.

For the past two years, Mitsubishi has been collaborating with seven major Japanese utility companies to evaluate the small K-class Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car. Those tests were so successful that Mitsubishi Motors is planning to market the i-MiEV in Japan starting in the summer of 2009. Continuing this winning formula, Mitsubishi is teaming up with Southern California Edison (SCE) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to evaluate the i-MiEV in the North American market.

The i-MiEV is a space efficient, four-passenger mini car with wheels pushed out to the extreme corners to achieve a 100.4-inch wheelbase. It's a pure electric car based on Mitsubishi's "i" car sold in the Japanese market, a model normally powered by a turbocharged 660cc gasoline engine. Its zero emission electric powertrain uses a 47 kW permanent magnet electric motor that's actually quicker than the 64 horsepower gasoline engine car. Electricity is stored in a 330 volt lithium-ion battery mounted beneath the floor. The lithium-ion battery was developed in a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, GS Yuasa, and Lithium Energy Japan. In the Japanese 10-15 mode cycle, the i-MiEV can cover 100 miles on a single charge.

Mitsubishi partner Southern California Edison has been a proponent of electric vehicles for more than two decades. Its EV fleet is the largest private collection of such vehicles in the country and has logged more than 16 million zero emission miles. SCE will use its i-MiEVs to complement the utility's work on plug-in hybrids, advanced batteries, and its interface with Edison's next-generation SmartConnect meters, which will connect the i-MiEV to the smart grid of the future. The i-MiEV will be evaluated by SCE's EV Technical Center to provide feedback on vehicle dynamics and battery performance. SCE will also study vehicle connection and how well the i-MiEV integrates into the existing electrical infrastructure.

PG&E is planning to add the i-MiEV to its research and demonstration fleet for real-world testing later this year. A primary goal for PG&E is to better understand how charging electric vehicles is likely to impact the current power grid. Like SCE, PG&E has been researching the benefits of electric vehicles for quite some time. Its joint research will offer a free exchange of information about the charging infrastructure, power availability, commercial expectations for fleet applications, public feedback, and vehicle data.

The i-MiEV works well for these demonstrations because it looks futuristic and will generate considerable public interest on appearance alone. Mitsubishi's "i" cars have become very popular in Japan because many of the kei-class (short for keijidosha, or "light automobile") are boxy shapes that are not as appealing to consumers. The i-MiEV can best be described as a sleek, rounded pod that looks somewhat like a stretched Smart car if you squint.

Mitsubishi has made it clear that bringing the i-MiEV to the American market is appealing in the near future. Partnering with major West Coast utilities to study market potential is an indication of just how serious it is. If the Japanese market studies are any indication, this could mean that Mitsubishi's zero emissions city car could have North American distribution in as little as two years or less. We're pulling for less.