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The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors. It was the world's first modern highway-capable mass-production electric car. The i-Miev was launched in Japan in 2009 and was made available to the wider public in 2010. The car has since been discontinued, with the last units sold in 2018.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Mitsubishi i-MiEV |
| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Motors |
| Type | Electric car |
| Variants | Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Citroën |
| First launched | 2009 |
| Discontinuation | 2018 |
| No. of doors | 4 |
| No. of seats | 4 |
| Features | Heated front seats, air conditioning |
| Battery | 16-kWh lithium-ion battery |
| Charging time | 6-7 hours on a 240-volt, Level 2 charger; 21 hours on a 110-volt charger |
| Range | 100 miles (160 km) on the Japanese test cycle; 62 miles (99.8 km) EPA-estimated range |
| Sales | 11,000 electric cars assembled by Mitsubishi for PSA as of August 2012 |
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What You'll Learn
The i-MiEV was the world's first mass-produced electric car
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the world's first mass-produced electric car. Launched in Japan in July 2009 for fleet customers, the i-MiEV was made available to the wider public in April 2010. The i-MiEV is a five-door electric city car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors and is the electric version of the Mitsubishi i. The acronym MiEV stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle.
The i-MiEV was first exhibited in Australia at the Melbourne International Motor Show in March 2009. Following this, Mitsubishi conducted a twelve-month field trial with potential electric vehicle customers, including local, state, and federal government bodies, and major fleet operators. Sales for fleet customers began in Australia in August 2010 under a leasing agreement. The initial shipment included only 40 units, but Mitsubishi Motors Australia reported receiving applications for more than 100 vehicles before the launch.
The i-MiEV was also launched in Hong Kong and Australia in May and July 2010, respectively. International sales to Asia, Australia, and Europe started in 2010, with further markets in Central and South America added in 2011. Fleet and retail customer deliveries in the US and Canada began in December 2011. The American-only version is larger than the Japanese version and has additional features. According to Mitsubishi, the i-MiEV has an all-electric range of 160 kilometres (100 miles) on the Japanese test cycle.
The i-MiEV was the first electric car to sell more than 10,000 units, including models badged in Europe as the Citroën C-Zero and Peugeot iOn. This record was officially registered by Guinness World Records. However, the Nissan Leaf later overtook the i-MiEV as the best-selling all-electric car, with global sales of over 200,000 units as of December 2015.
The development of electric vehicles has a long history, with innovators in the 1800s working on the technology that would eventually lead to the first electric vehicles on the road. However, the mass production of gas-powered vehicles by Henry Ford made gasoline-powered cars widely available and affordable, dealing a blow to electric cars. The introduction of the Toyota Prius in 1997 marked another turning point, as it became the world's first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. The revival of electric vehicles gained momentum in the early 21st century, with the announcement of Tesla Motors' plans to produce a luxury electric sports car in 2006.
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It was sold in the US and Canada from 2011
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors. It is the electric version of the Mitsubishi i, with an all-electric range of 160 kilometres (100 miles) on the Japanese test cycle. The i-MiEV was the world's first modern highway-capable mass-production electric car.
The i-Miev was first exhibited in Australia in March 2009 at the Melbourne International Motor Show. Sales for fleet customers in Australia began in August 2010 under leasing agreements.
In December 2011, fleet and retail customer deliveries in the US and Canada began. The American-only version is larger than the Japanese version and has several additional features. The US i-MiEV version was also sold in Canada, with a starting price of CA$32,998 (US$33,891) before any government incentives available in Ontario and Quebec. The i-MiEV was the most fuel-efficient EPA-certified vehicle in the US in November 2011.
In 2011, 80 i-MiEVs were sold in the US. In 2012, 588 were sold, and in 2013, 1029 were sold. However, sales declined in subsequent years, with 196 sold in 2014, 115 in 2015, and 7 in 2016.
Mitsubishi ceased production of the i-MiEV in 2021, bringing an end to its run as one of the pioneering mass-market electric vehicles.
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The i-MiEV has been criticised for poor performance and sales
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is a five-door electric city car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors. It was the world's first modern highway-capable mass-production electric car. The i-MiEV was launched for fleet customers in Japan in July 2009, and for retail customers in April 2010.
Despite its initial success, the i-MiEV has faced criticism for its poor performance and sales. Several local authorities in Estonia expressed concerns about the car's performance during harsh winter conditions, high maintenance costs, and reliability on difficult countryside roads. These factors may have contributed to the car's relatively low sales figures in Estonia, where municipalities requested only 336 out of the 507 i-MiEVs available.
In addition to the concerns raised in Estonia, the i-MiEV has also faced challenges in the European market. In 2012, Mitsubishi announced the suspension of its supply of the i-MiEV to PSA Peugeot Citroën due to slow sales. By August 2012, PSA had sold only 50% of its sales target for the previous year, resulting in an excess of unsold inventory.
The i-MiEV's poor sales performance continued in North America, particularly in the United States. In 2016, Mark Vaughn of AutoWeek published a road test of the i-MiEV, calling it "the worst-selling car in America." Despite the car's low sales, Vaughn expressed fondness for the vehicle and highlighted its unique characteristics. However, Mitsubishi sold only 40 units per month in the US, leading to the decision to withdraw the i-MiEV from the North American market after the 2017 model year.
Overall, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV struggled to maintain sales and compete in the evolving electric vehicle market. The company acknowledged the need for modernization to keep up with growing market competition but lacked the funds to update the i-MiEV. As a result, Mitsubishi ended the production cycle of the i-MiEV prematurely, with plans to develop a successor model based on a Nissan platform.
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Mitsubishi halted supply to Europe in 2012 due to the debt crisis
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV (MiEV is an acronym for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) is a five-door electric city car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors. It is the electric version of the Mitsubishi i. The i-MiEV was the world's first modern highway-capable mass-production electric car.
Mitsubishi halted the supply of the i-MiEV to the PSA Peugeot Citroën (PSA) Group in 2012 due to sluggish sales resulting from Europe's debt crisis. This suspension was part of the decision of several Japanese manufacturers to suspend their joint development projects and contracts with European partners. By early August 2012, PSA had sold a total of 6,575 Peugeot iOns and Citroën C-Zeros since their launch in Europe in 2010, while Mitsubishi had assembled almost 11,000 electric cars for PSA, leaving the French carmaker with over 4,400 electric cars in unsold inventory.
Mitsubishi's decision to halt supply to Europe in 2012 was influenced by the region's debt crisis, which resulted in a sales slump for Japanese automakers. The impact on Mitsubishi was significant, given their small market share in Europe. The company's sales in Europe had also been declining, reaching 218,000 between 2011 and 2012, down from a peak of 340,000 vehicles between 2007 and 2008.
Mitsubishi's suspension of supply to PSA was not an isolated case. Other Japanese automakers, such as Isuzu and Mazda, also weakened their ties with Europe during this period. Isuzu halted the development of a next-generation diesel for Opel AG and planned to pull out of their Polish joint venture with GM. Mazda switched its source of small diesel engines from PSA to its own production.
Mitsubishi's challenges in Europe continued in subsequent years. In 2016, the company was involved in a diesel emissions scandal, which caused its shares to fall. In 2017, the i-MiEV remained a relevant and competitive electric vehicle option, known for its smooth ride, firm brakes, and lively steering. However, in 2020, Mitsubishi announced its exit from the European market, citing a failure to generate profits in the region. While the company returned to the European market in 2021, it ceased car sales in the United Kingdom by the end of that year.
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The i-MiEV has a range of 100 miles on the Japanese test cycle
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric vehicle produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors. It is a five-door electric city car and the electric version of the Mitsubishi i. The i-MiEV was the world's first modern highway-capable mass-production electric car.
The i-MiEV was exhibited in Australia at the Melbourne International Motor Show in March 2009. Beginning in mid-2009, Mitsubishi conducted a twelve-month field trial with potential electric vehicle customers, including government bodies and major fleet operators. Sales for fleet customers began in Australia in August 2010 under leasing agreements.
The i-MiEV has an EPA-estimated range of 62 miles, with an energy consumption measurement of 111 mpg equivalent. The car uses a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery that takes between six and seven hours to charge on a 240-volt, Level 2 charger. However, charging with a standard 110-volt charger can take up to 21 hours.
The i-MiEV was one of the first mass-produced electric vehicles available for purchase in the US. It is no longer being sold in the US, and all units have been sold.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric car. It was one of the first mass-produced electric vehicles available for purchase in the US.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV uses a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery that takes between six and seven hours to charge on a 240-volt, Level 2 charger, or 21 hours on a standard 110-volt charger. Its range is EPA-rated at 62 miles, though some sources state 100 miles. The car has four doors and seats, with upscale features like heated front seats and air conditioning.
Rebadged variants of the i-MiEV are sold by PSA as the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero, mainly in Europe. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the only one with regenerative braking, and it has rear-wheel drive.
