Rivals zero in on battery power

The Japanese production version of Mitsubishi's iMiEV will cost around NZ$70,000.

Mitsubishi has unveiled the production version of its battery-powered iMiEV runabout, pricing it in Japan at around $70,000 and saying it wants such zero-emission electric vehicles to account for 20 per cent of its global output by 2020.

Rival carmaker Fuji Heavy Industries came out with its own EV at the same time. It is a plug-in version of the four-door Subaru Stella microcar, just as the Mitsubishi iMiEV is an electric version of the petrol-powered iCar that has been on sale in New Zealand for the past few years.

Deliveries of the Stella start in Japan next month. Fuji is targeting corporate leases of 170 units by next April but has no plans to sell the car overseas.

The Stella EV is priced at about $76,000 and, like the iMiEV, is eligible for a Japanese government subsidy.

Mitsubishi iMiEV buyers, for instance, can qualify for a $22,600 green-car subsidy from the Government, bringing the cost down to about $48,000.

Mitsubishi's sales goals are more ambitious than those for the Stella and include some overseas sales. It aims for 1400 lease sales to corporate customers and local governments by March 31, 2010.

Europe gets a version of the iMiEV next year. The US launch of the lithium-ion battery-powered car comes after that. Individual sales in Japan start in April 2010, with Mitsubishi taking those orders next month.

The four-seat iMiEV is the centrepiece of Mitsubishi's plan to leapfrog bigger rivals such as Toyota and Honda in plug-in electric-vehicle technology.

Mitsubishi missed the hybrid-vehicle boom and wants to move straight into zero-emissions EVs.

The small commuter car has a single-charge range of 160km, which Mitsubishi says is good enough for 90 per cent of the average Japanese daily driving needs.

It can recharge its battery in 14 hours on an AC100-volt Japanese power outlet, in seven hours on AC200 volts and in 30 minutes on a high-output quick charger. For a bit of futuristic flare, the iMiEV is the first car from Mitsubishi to have light-emitting diode headlamps and taillights.

In tandem with the iMiEV launch, Mitsubishi outlined new green-car goals for 2020.

Besides wanting EVs to account for 20 per cent of its global production by that date, the company wants to halve the carbon dioxide emissions of its global lineup.

The plug-in Stella uses lithium-ion batteries and has a range of 90km. It is fully recharged in eight hours using an AC100 volt Japanese household power outlet, or five hours at AC200 volts. It can be recharged up to 80 per cent of capacity in 15 minutes using a quick charge system.

The electric motors in the Stella and iMiEV produce similar power: 47kW, or 63bhp, at 8500rpm. Torque is around 170-180Nm.

The battery system also recovers energy under deceleration, further enhancing efficiency.