These days, electric cars have become a pretty common thing, but back in the day when the Mitsubishi i-MiEV was released, things were completely the opposite.
The i-MiEV is the first mass-produced highway-capable all-electric car in the world, so it's not surprising that it was given a name that stood for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle.
This tiny 5-door hatchback was in production for more than a decade. While it feels outdated in performance compared to modern EVs, it no doubt earned its place in history books. It has brought some innovative technical solutions, which we'll talk about in the following paragraphs.
The First Generation of Mitsubishi i-MiEV (2010-2016)
The development of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV started back in the early 2000s, and the first production models began coming out in 2009. The initial series was reserved for Japanese fleet customers, while the small electric hatchback became available to the broader masses a year later.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV Australia debuted in 2010, albeit offered only to fleet customers at the time. In 2011, retail sales to the public started, with an initial price of around $50,000. It remained available until 2016 but was discontinued due to low sales. In other parts of the world, it remained available until 2020.
The Mitsubishi i MiEV was offered as a rebadged version in Europe under PSA brands. These models featured the same design but were called Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero.
Design
The i-MiEV was the first highway-capable all-electric car in mass production, but urban driving conditions were its natural environment. It features small dimensions and a five-door hatchback layout.
The company developed a new platform that could store the battery and other components under the floor, which was a pretty impressive thing back in the day.
The catch with this car was that despite its all-electric nature, it was full of conventional and simple design solutions. Brakes are a great example of that combination of modern and conventional.
Of course, the car features regenerative braking and comes with a hydraulic brake system. It features ventilated discs at the front and drum brakes on the rear axle.
Another interesting aspect of the car is the suspension setup. At the front, you may count on a typical McPherson independent suspension, with coil springs and hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers. The rear end comes with an old-school De Dion axle design, combined with double-acting shock absorbers and coils.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV came with a pretty interesting set of wheels. Although all four rims feature 15 inches in diameter, the front tyres are smaller than the rear ones. The front tyres are 145/65 R15, while the rear tyres are 175/55 R15.
The company didn't offer a spare wheel. Instead, we saw a repair kit with a repair fluid placed under the rear seat and a 12-volt electric compressor.
One of the things that’s easy to notice is that there are two charging ports, one on each side. On the left side, you can see a fast DC charger, while the port on the rear side is reserved for the slow AC charger.
Dimensions
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was designed primarily as a city car, so it's no wonder that the dimensions are pretty small. In fact, this tiny 5-door hatchback is so small that it meets the standard of the Japanese Kei car segment. The car measures 2,550mm in wheelbase, with a total length of 3,395mm. It is 1,475mm wide and 1,610mm high, with 150mm ground clearance and kerb weight of 1,100kg.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 2,550 mm
- Overall length: 3,395 mm
- Overall height: 1,610 mm
- Overall width: 1,475 mm
- Ground clearance unladen: 150 mm
- Kerb weight: 1,100 kg
- Rear track: 1,270 mm
- Front track: 1,310 mm
Powertrain, Battery, and Range
Back in the day, EV technology was still at a young age, so it's not surprising that Mitsubishi came up with a modest setup with the i-MiEV. The car features a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, coupled with a single-speed automatic transmission. The max output goes around 49kW and 180Nm of the max torque.
Of course, such modest numbers provided modest performance. The acceleration isn't particularly impressive, as the car needs around 16 seconds to hit 100 km/h. The top speed goes about 130 km/h.
The car came equipped with a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and a good thing to know is that there are 88 cells and 12-cell modules are under the floor—8 cell modules placed horizontally and 4 placed vertically. According to the Australian Government's Green Vehicle Guide, the i-MiEV has a max range of 155 km.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV Specs
- Powertrain: Single rear synchronous electric motor
- Max output: 49 kW
- Max Torque: 180 Nm
- Transmission: 1-speed automatic
- Battery Capacity: 16 kWh
- Max Range: 155 km
- Acceleration (0-100km/h): 15.9s
- Top Speed: 130 km/h
Is Mitsubishi i-MiEV all-electric?
Yes. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an all-electric vehicle. It features a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery and a range of 155 km. It comes with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, with a max output of 49 kW and 180 Nm of torque.
Is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV discontinued?
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was officially discontinued from the Australian market in 2014, while the remaining units were available in showrooms until 2016. During that period, 252 units were sold in Australia. Globally, this small hatchback was in production until 2020. For more than a decade of production, the Japanese manufacturer sold around 30,000 units.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV marked the best results in Europe, with a total sales of 17,484 units. This number also includes Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot i-On variants. When it comes to the domestic market in Japan, 9,909 units were sold.
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By Nebojsa Grmusa