Mitsubishi i Electric Vehicle a Champion of Low Price

The all-electric Mitsubishi i – already available as the i-MiEV in Japan and Europe – will be sold as a 2012 model in the United States. Although riding on the same wheelbase, the U.S. version is longer and wider than its offshore counterparts to better accommodate American tastes and requirements. Initial deliveries will begin in late 2011 in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, with nationwide sales beginning by the end of 2012. Mitsubishi plans to sell 1500 of these electric vehicles in 2012.

Like the Nissan Leaf, the Mitsubishi i has a distinctive electric car look that’s considered important in attracting first adopters. Unlike the Leaf, which was designed exclusively as an electric car, the Mitsubishi i is based on an existing internal combustion model sold in Asia and Europe. The i has a surprisingly spacious interior considering its smallish external dimensions, offering over 50 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats folded down. Easy access is provided through a large rear hatch.

Mitsubishi has tweaked the all-electric powertrain a bit for the U.S. model. The i uses a 66 horsepower electric motor versus its 63 horsepower counterpart in the i-MiEV, plus an electronic control unit that’s been re-calibrated to better suit American driving conditions. Side airbags are also added. Mitsubishi is using Best Buy's Geek Squad to install Eaton home chargers for the i, which are priced at $700 plus installation cost.

A key fob remote allows a driver to communicate with the vehicle to pre-heat or pre-cool the interior as well as control the charging process. While wireless, the remote is not connected to the Internet so it cannot be used with a smartphone.

We’ll give Mitsubishi credit for striving to keep the cost of its electric i reasonable by making it as simple as possible. One example of this is the spartan instrumentation that consists of a battery state-of-charge meter, gear indicator, speedometer, eco/regen indicator, and odometer. The base Mitsubishi i ES has an MSRP of $29,125, nearly $6,000 less than the all-electric Nissan Leaf. The bottom line drops further to under $22,000 after an available federal tax credit.