Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi is bringing its’ i-MiEV electric car to the US – and it will be available for test drives starting in November.
The battery electric vehicle is scheduled to go on sale in US dealerships in early 2012 and will be positioned as the most affordably priced mass produced electric vehicle in the country with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $29,125 – that’s $6,075 less than electric vehicles produced by other mainstream manufacturers.
The US-spec vehicle will have a roomier interior and improved safety features when compared to the Japan/EU spec. Among them will be a 110mm wider track and redesigned front and rear bumpers; as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system; and an acoustic vehicle alerting system.
It has a more powerful 49kW AC synchronous electric motor with an 88-cell 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It is rated by the EPA as being able to attain the equivalent of 126mpg in city driving and 99mpg in highway driving. Its batteries can be recharged in 22 hours using the included 120V level one portable charging cable; seven hours with a dedicated level two EVSE charger; and can receive an 80 per cent charge in less than 30minutes from a public level three quick charging station.
In addition, the vehicle will be available with a number of options including a Cold Zone package that includes heated outside mirrors and a battery warning system.
