Official Mitsubishi i-MiEV Thread

[Jay]

I-MiEV priced at $27,990 (+dest $750ish) in the US, which is very aggresive (imo). Reservations start tomorrow. Deliveries to California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii by November 2011, followed by the northeastern U.S. market by March 2012 with nationwide availability expected by December 2012.

http://media.mitsubishicars.com/releases/89b5cb15-e4d6-3752-a3b5-883c4dad9d1d

"The breakthrough Mitsubishi i is the most affordable 100% electric-powered mass-market production vehicle available in North America. Its net MSRP* after federal tax credit is a very affordable $20,490 for the standard ES model and only $22,490 for the upgrade SE version, making the starting price for the all-new Mitsubishi i several thousand less than other mass produced electric vehicles available in the market."

 

[adric22]

I-MiEV priced at $27,990 (+dest $750ish) in the US, which is very aggresive (imo). Reservations start tomorrow. Deliveries to California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii by November 2011, followed by the northeastern U.S. market by March 2012 with nationwide availability expected by December 2012.

This is good news indeed. That will make it a stiff competitor to the Leaf and give the consumer more choices for an EV. I'd probably consider one myself but it won't be in my area for almost 2 years. so the Leaf it will be!

 

[Yanquetino]

Unlike some, I really like the funky look of the "i". It might not have all the bells-and-whistles of the LEAF, but you're not paying for those features either. I am tempted to also put down a deposit on one, but unfortunately... it looks like I couldn't take delivery any sooner than a LEAF: my state is --once again-- on the tail end of the rollout.

Here is the schedule for the "i", if forum members want to check their state:

The Mitsubishi i delivery schedule.
See when our remarkable EV will be available in your state.

Dates listed below are estimated and subject to change.

California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
Finalize your Mitsubishi i order by: 10/1/11
Receive it by: 1/31/12

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Finalize your Mitsubishi i order by: 1/1/12
Receive it by: 4/30/12

Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Finalize your Mitsubishi i order by: 8/1/12
Receive it by: 11/30/12

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Finalize your Mitsubishi i order by: 10/1/12
Receive it by: 1/31/13

 

[planet4ever]

Well, it could be that by next year I'll have two EVs! I went ahead and put down the $299 deposit just now. I've snorted at the i-MiEV in the past, as too small and too ugly, but it does seat four, and has a fair amount of storage space with the rear seats folded down. Its speed and range are adequate for my requirements, and I've said a couple of times on other threads here that I would like fewer, not more, fancy gadgets on the LEAF.

This is all a very sudden, impulsive, decision for me, but it is a refundable deposit. I have to remember that a year ago, when I put down $99 on the LEAF, I expected that I was going to get a Volt, and the LEAF was just a backup plan. It now appears that Nissan will have assigned, and then yanked back, two different cars before I eventually get one. Maybe the "i" will become my next backup plan.

Ray

 

[LeafinThePark]

I cannot seem to find the website to reserve....seriously considering it as a backup to the Leaf. Can anyone point me in the right direction.

 

[planet4ever]

http://i.mitsubishicars.com/reserve

By the way, I'm not sure what happened but I went astray when I tried to use PayPal. It took me a while to find my way back but was finally able to continue with a credit card.

Ray

 

[evnow]

Here is the schedule for the "i", if forum members want to check their state:

Looks like Mitsu missed an opportunity to offer the car in non-Leaf areas and get some early sales. They are more than likely trying to ride Nissan's coat-tails, waiting for Nissan to do all the hardwork of co-ordinating with utilities and cities.

 

[HIOJim]

Here is the schedule for the "i", if forum members want to check their state:

Looks like Mitsu missed an opportunity to offer the car in non-Leaf areas and get some early sales. They are more than likely trying to ride Nissan's coat-tails, waiting for Nissan to do all the hardwork of co-ordinating with utilities and cities.

I wonder who they will use for their EVSE 'Home electrical inspection'? I hope they learn something from the bad choice Nissan made.... :roll:

 

[mynameisjim]

Here is the schedule for the "i", if forum members want to check their state:

I wonder who they will use for their EVSE 'Home electrical inspection'? I hope they learn something from the bad choice Nissan made.... :roll:

I'm going to guess they'll announce Best Buy like Ford did.

 

[JimSouCal]

http://i.mitsubishicars.com/reserve

By the way, I'm not sure what happened but I went astray when I tried to use PayPal. It took me a while to find my way back but was finally able to continue with a credit card.

Ray

Thanks. I decided to reserve on as well as a LEAF back up. They did do ditto that irritating move to only have the level 3 on the higher trim level....

 

[waiting4leaf]

The Mitsubisihi I EV could be a Wheego killer. It may even be a SMART EV killer. But it won't be a LEAF or Focus EV killer, even in larger American market form. It's just pushing the "small" envelope too far for most American buyers.

I have to agree with this. The price point of the i is not very attractive. The Nav is standard on the LEAF, however on the i, it's optional. With a smaller foot print, smaller battery and for California buyers who will not get the $5000 addl rebate, LEAF is certainly the way to go.

I have the LEAF for 4 days now and I think it's a very very well built car.

 

[EVDRIVER]

The Mitsubisihi I EV could be a Wheego killer. It may even be a SMART EV killer. But it won't be a LEAF or Focus EV killer, even in larger American market form. It's just pushing the "small" envelope too far for most American buyers.

I have to agree with this. The price point of the i is not very attractive. The Nav is standard on the LEAF, however on the i, it's optional. With a smaller foot print, smaller battery and for California buyers who will not get the $5000 addl rebate, LEAF is certainly the way to go.

I have the LEAF for 4 days now and I think it's a very very well built car.

It does not take much to kill the Wheego or Smart, the Wheego should die out soon enough and the Smart needs a serious makeover and repricing and it may survive, the Wheego is pretty much a non-starter and a bit of a joke IMO.

 

[planet4ever]

With a smaller foot print, smaller battery and for California buyers who will not get the $5000 addl rebate, LEAF is certainly the way to go.

When you refer to the Cal. rebate are you comparing LEAF now to i later? That seems like an apples-to-oranges comparison. I have the impression, perhaps wrong, that the LEAF and i will qualify for the same level of rebate if purchased at the same time. It appears that next year's rebate is likely to be less than $5,000, but the advantage of that is that more vehicles will be able to use it. I won't be a bit surprised to learn that an i delivered to California in January 2012 has gotten a $3,000 rebate.

And, not coincidentally, a smaller footprint and smaller battery implies less weight, which is probably going to mean better mileage. Mitsubishi seems to believe that with their claim of 20% less range on a battery that is 33% smaller.

Ray

 

[adric22]

I also agree. Based on what we currently know about all of the pure electrics coming to market next year including price, and numbers to be manufactured, the i-Miev (or I guess now they are just calling the i-electric?) is the only serious competitor to the Leaf. We already have a Leaf and I'm trying to get another one so my wife and I can both drive EVs. But if the i-Miev were available, and were several thousand cheaper than the Leaf (which is appears it will be) then I would highly consider it as a vehicle for myself.

 

[waiting4leaf]

I also agree. Based on what we currently know about all of the pure electrics coming to market next year including price, and numbers to be manufactured, the i-Miev (or I guess now they are just calling the i-electric?) is the only serious competitor to the Leaf. We already have a Leaf and I'm trying to get another one so my wife and I can both drive EVs. But if the i-Miev were available, and were several thousand cheaper than the Leaf (which is appears it will be) then I would highly consider it as a vehicle for myself.

The i is about $5K cheaper than LEAF. However, most options which are standard on leaf are either not available on the i (eg: Carwings) or an option (eg: Navigation). Maybe for folks who do not care much for some these niceties of the LEAF, i is an option.

It'll be interesting to see what Ford prices it's electric car at. From the looks of it, it looks cute and more appealing than the LEAF or the i.

 

[waiting4leaf]

With a smaller foot print, smaller battery and for California buyers who will not get the $5000 addl rebate, LEAF is certainly the way to go.

When you refer to the Cal. rebate are you comparing LEAF now to i later? That seems like an apples-to-oranges comparison. I have the impression, perhaps wrong, that the LEAF and i will qualify for the same level of rebate if purchased at the same time. It appears that next year's rebate is likely to be less than $5,000, but the advantage of that is that more vehicles will be able to use it. I won't be a bit surprised to learn that an i delivered to California in January 2012 has gotten a $3,000 rebate.

And, not coincidentally, a smaller footprint and smaller battery implies less weight, which is probably going to mean better mileage. Mitsubishi seems to believe that with their claim of 20% less range on a battery that is 33% smaller.

Ray

I'm not quite sure if the CA rebate will be available when the i goes on sale. I did read recently that they are working on something for next year and the rebate amount might be less than the $5K for today's LEAF buyers. If there were a 5K rebate on the i, that would be really great. The car would cost about $15K.

 

[BudRaymond]

The interior pictures on their website are not impressive at all. It looks like a standard gasoline car.
I personally love the shifter on the Leaf. The iMiEV has the standard gas shifter.

 

[ht2]

Very good Mitsubishi i-MiEV review.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4309

 

[KeiJidosha]

Mitsubishi is having "Owners Day" on July 9th at their facility in Cypress, CA. It sounds like a ride and drive is available for the i-MiEV, now called the Mitsubishi i. Also saw this about the battery cooling;

"The custom-made battery pack on the ES trim of the Mitsubishi i is equipped with a fan-driven, forced-air induction system that automatically engages to protect the battery from overheating during charging.
On the SE trim we go one step further. SE drivers can upgrade to the Premium Package which allows, among other good things, the ability to charge the Mitsubishi i with a public quick-charger. Because quick-chargers can tend to heat batteries and reduce their efficiency in the long term, we've added an air-cooling system to the SE that draws cold air from the air conditioning unit to keep the battery nice and cool, even in hot climates".

http://i.mitsubishicars.com/

 

[DaveEV]

Ran into this article on updated i-MiEV trims going on sale in Japan in the next 1-2 months:

Mitsubishi Motors offering i-MiEV in two trim levels: more affordable and more capable

Summary:

Affordable trim level starts at 1,880,000 yen (~$23.3k USD). 10.5 kWh battery, 30 kW max power, 120 km J08 range.
More capable trim level starts at 2,600,000 yen (~$32,100 USD). Same 16 kWh battery as current model, 45 kW max power, 180 km J08 range.

The 180 km J08 range is apparently about 20% more than the current model (anyone know what the J08 is for the current i-MiEV?). I wonder how the squeezed out 20% more range?

Edit: Reading the press release it appears that they were able to capture more regen energy which is how they increased the range. So under highway conditions range will very likely be the same as before. Still impressive - it takes careful driving of the LEAF to maximize regen in the city. A short yellow prevents maximum regen - if the LEAF could regen at 50 kW+ I imagine a lot more city range could be realized for many drivers.

For reference, the Nissan LEAF has a J08 range of 200 km - so in the same test cycle, the i-MiEV can go 90% the distance of the LEAF with 2/3rds the total battery capacity.