Maybe you know better the Mitsubishi i-MIEV like Peugeot iOn or Citroën C-Zero, thanks to the agreement between the Japanese manufacturer and Groupe PSA. An agreement that allowed French brands to enter the electric vehicle market early, in 2010.
A year that reveals how veteran the small Japanese model that now sees its production end is already. Originally launched in 2009, however, it is based on the Mitsubishi i, a Japanese kei car launched in 2006 and has excellent packaging.
A fairly long lifespan where it only underwent modest upgrades which, in light of the pronounced evolution undergone by electric vehicles over the decade, made the i-MIEV (acronym for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) hopelessly out of date.
As can be seen from the i-MIEV battery with a capacity of just 16 kWh — reduced in 2012 to 14.5 kWh in French models — a value close to and even lower than that of some current plug-in hybrids.
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Autonomy, therefore, is also modest. The 160 km initially announced were according to the NEDC cycle, which was reduced to 100 km in the most demanding WLTP.
The Mitsubishi i-MIEV has a rear engine and traction, but the 67 hp translates to just 15.9s in the 0 to 100 km/h, for a limited top speed of 130 km/h. There's no doubt about it… i-MIEV's ambitions began and ended in the city.
Its limitations, lack of evolution and the high price ended up justifying the modest commercial numbers. Since 2009, only around 32,000 have been produced — compare to the larger and more versatile Nissan Leaf, launched in 2010, which is now in its second generation and has already passed the half-million mark.
Citron C-zero
Substitute? Just for… 2023
Now part of the Alliance (which it has been a part of since 2016) along with Renault and Nissan — despite a difficult relationship over the past 2-3 years, the Alliance seems to have found a way around — Mitsubishi ends production of its small and veteran model, but it does not mean the end of a small electric for the brand of three diamonds.
By gaining access to platforms and components from other Alliance members, Mitsubishi plans to build a new electric city, also designed under the strict requirements of Japanese kei cars — we will hardly see it in Europe — which we will most likely know about in Europe. 2023.
