Is There Demand for Three Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles?

By Eric Loveday · December 12, 2011

Mitsubishi execs confirm a 2013 launch of all-electric Mirage compact.

Mitsubishi is reported to be bumping up the nationwide roll-out of its all-electric i minicar based on high demand—but Autodata informed PluginCars.com that the total number of i sales reported by the company in November was only four units. The Mitsubishi i officially launched in the US in November, with sales currently limited to West Coast states and Hawaii. December will be the first full month of retails sales for the i.

The company conducted its very first fleet delivery of the 2012 Mitsubishi i to the Bay Area's City CarShare in a special ceremony in front of San Francisco City Hall Plaza on Dec. 8.

Mitsubishi is also reportedly planning to release an electric version of its compact Mirage in mid-2013—and is close to production on its PX-MiEV crossover plug-in hybrid. It's uncertain how the company will market two small electric cars, assuming that they will be offered at similar prices with similar driving range and capability. The Mirage is the more conventional looking vehicle—with a presumed wider appeal to American drivers.

If Mitsubishi delivers on it plans, it will have three plug-in vehicles available about 18 months from now. The third is the PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid, which will be introduced in the United States as Outlander Sport in 2013. The PX-MiEV II—the concept version shown at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show—is described as a twin-motor, mid-size, all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid that offers a "long cruising range" and acceleration comparable to a 3.0-liter V6-equipped SUV. The PX-MiEV II concept features a lithium-ion battery pack of undisclosed capacity and a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine. The twin electric motors pump out 60 kW (80.5 horsepower) each, with one motor spinning the front wheels and the other powering the crossover's rear wheels.

We will be paying close attention to December sales numbers for the i electric car, to see if the demand for Mitsubishi's first electric car is strong—setting a path for success for its future plug-in releases.

About the author

· Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday is an automotive enthusiast who is passionate about everything auto. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering and outrageous consumption of gasoline, and sold it off. Eric developed a true passion for automotive writing after graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in print journalism. Eric spent most of his time since then ...

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Comments

· EVNow · 22 weeks ago

I don't know about Mirage - but an all-wheel-drive PHEV SUV will sell like hot cakes. This is the vehicle category Chevy should have launched its PHEV with, in the first place.

· alt-e · 22 weeks ago

In order to have high EV sales you have to build high volumes of EVs. If you only offer 4 for sale you will only sell 4. Really people should stop reporting that some EV manufacturer only sold a certian amount unless they learn from the manufacturer that there are more sitting around unsold. I don't really know about the particulars in this case, but I would suspect that they just wanted to get a token few in this year so they could say they met a 2011 delivery date.

But beyond that getting to high volume does mean offering different car types so that you appeal to a wide variety of demographics.

I think the reason they are doing the Mirage as an EV is that the i looks like an iconic EV and/or microcar in its styling and that turns off some American buyers. So they respond by offering a small EV that has styling that most Americans are ready to accept.

· Yegor · 22 weeks ago

I am very skeptical about Mitsubishi "i" generating lots of sales because of its nontraditional shape ( it makes car look unsafe). So in my opinion "Mirage" has a better chance of generating sales.

· ex-EV1 driver · 22 weeks ago

I fear that the "i" won't sell well and people will blame it on being electric when there are far more reasons it won't work for a lot of people:

1) insufficient range. It barely gets 80 miles per charge in calm driving. In the real world, I'd only expect to see about 50 miles per charge.
2) strange shape car. It will appeal to some but probably not the mainstream.
3) too small 4 seater. Its smaller than most mainstream gasoline cars inside. It is delightfuly roomy given its small size but it is still extremely small.
4) slot. I believe it tops out at 70 mph, a bit slow for most commuters with long-commutes. I may be wrong on this but we'll find out after it gets out on the road.

I have great hopes for that PHEV SUV. It could be a huge winner.

I'll have to know something about the Mirage to be able to even try to guess what kind of hope there is for it.

· tterbo · 22 weeks ago

I think the MiEVs might cleanup the Smart market. Well, except for the Smarts that take long trips. The fact that they've sold 17k MiEVs already shows somebody must want them. I myself won't get one though for the size. I figure I'd be saving enough foliage driving a Civic-sized EV.

It's nice to see an SUV on the list too. There are a lot of hybrid SUVs out there these days, so it wouldn't be a big transition for suv-lovers. There would be serious limitations of course, as EV Nut pointed out. You'd only be able to carry ladders, bikes, and a ton of cement blocks with them. :D

· JJ - Can (not verified) · 22 weeks ago

I see small gas cars like the above all the time.
I just want an all EV the size of a Kia Rondo or Hyundai Touring.
I need cargo room at the back for tools and sports equipment.

· Londo Bell (not verified) · 22 weeks ago

"I see small gas cars like the above all the time."

The problem is, those small cars cost less than $20K with well equipped models.

Base equipped "i" cost $30K, that's how much you need to pay when you drive off the dealer's lot.

Then factor in the mentality that
(1) It's a small car (let alone it only seats 4!), and I've to pay ~$15K just to get gas savings over the next X years? Moreover, Kia Rondo/Sonata Touring are wagons, not subcompact.
(2) Small cars usually last (per ownership) less than 4 years, hence no way to recoup gas savings, especially when most of us are very short-sighted and compare what's NOW and not what's in the FUTURE.
(3) It's going to cost more for wagon type of EV, due to the need of longer range battery to combat weight and aerodynamics. Then ask yourself - are you willing to pay over $35K for them? As a reference, Prius V costs $35K, base.

· abasile · 22 weeks ago

@Londo: I think you just made the argument in favor of government incentives for EVs, to help increase demand while the manufacturers work on bringing costs down with mass production. With the current federal $7500 tax credit, the net cost of an "i" is in the low 20s, and it drops even lower if you're in a state with incentives.

Of course, some folks want to get rid of all of the government incentives. That'd be fine by me if we also quit subsidizing petroleum, i.e., no more tax credits for oil companies, remove the US military from the Arabian Peninsula where the Saudis won't even let our troops have their own Bibles, and tax gasoline and diesel to compensate for their damage to public health in urban areas. I'm not suggesting that the government should take away anyone's freedom or prevent them from having fun driving an SUV, muscle car, etc., just that we have to look at the entire picture. An analogy would be smoking; Americans are free to smoke, but they have to pay hefty cigarette taxes.

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Is There Demand for Three Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles?

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