Mitsubishi i

SPECIFICATIONS

1. The i’s electric motor is rated at the equivalent of 66-hp and 145-lb-ft of torque. 2. Charge times differ, with 22 hours on a conventional household outlet, 7 hours on a 240-volt outlet and an impressive 30 minutes for an 80 percent charge with a special quick-charger. 3. The Lithium-ion battery pack contains 88 individual cells and boasts an 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty. 4. A De Dion three-link rear suspension helps deliver surprisingly good cornering ability. Plus, it’s rear-wheel drive. 5. Pricing starts at $29,125 and with a $7,500 Federal Tax Credit it drops to $21,625

PREVIEW

It seems that these days, we can’t get enough of electric vehicles, or at least talking about them. With the current environmental craze in overdrive, any discussion relating to zero emissions is worthy of inclusion.

Automakers, beset by increasing government meddling as it relates to emissions and fuel economy requirements, are looking at various ways to meet the challenges ahead. And certainly, when it comes to urban environments and shorter distance driving, EVs are seen as a logical choice.

At present, there are two ‘mainstream’ electric vehicles on sale in North America, the pure electric Nissan Leaf and the extended range Chevy Volt, which uses a gas engine to boost range beyond 40 miles.

The third, which is on sale about the time you read this, is the 2012 Mitsubishi i electric vehicle, a car that, like the Leaf represents another effort at all-electric propulsion. Although new to our shores, the i or i-MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) as its known in other markets, has been buzzing around Europe and Japan for some 18 months now, though the version across the pond is slightly different.

To begin with, it’s narrower. In order to better appeal to American tastes (and sizes), our model is some 4.3-inches wider. That said, in most other aspects it’s quite alternative by small car standards. The conventional 660 cc gas engined Japanese Domestic Market K-class i mini car, on which this is based, bucks the trend in featuring a motor mounted amidships under the rear seat, driving the back tires.

INTERIOR

This gives it rather excellent space efficiency, so when the time came for the Diamond-Star boffins to install the electric synchronous permanent magnet motor and lithium-ion battery pack for the MiEV variant, it went under the seat and interior floor respectively.

One thing that strikes you about the i Electric Vehicle, is that despite looking like an oversized golf buggy on the outside, it’s very much conventional. There’s a normal looking dash with a speedometer, plus even the battery charge display is laid out like a conventional fuel gauge. There’s also a normal looking console and automatic style shifter between the seats, no fancy buttons or toggles here.

However, what does strike you is that the cut-price origins of the original i are very much evident. There’s plenty of hard scratchy plastic and the seats feel thin and not particularly supportive. That said, there’s room to fit four North American adults with few issues, while cargo space swells to an impressive 55.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded (it’s 13.2 with the 50/50 split bench in the up position), all the more impressive considering the North American i is less than 145-inches long and 62.4-inches across the beam.

                               

UNDER THE HOOD

Electric cars don’t tend to inspire much enthusiasm among real auto aficionados, though given that this is a Mitsubishi and its rear-wheel drive, the i is actually quite fun. A low center of gravity mean that it feels quite stable, more than most small cars, especially through the corners and the steering is quite responsive by current electric assist standards.

Thanks to the electric synchronous permanent magnet motor, maximum torque (145 lb-ft, which coincidently is double that of the gas engined i), comes in the second you step on the throttle, which means whether driving in town or on the open road, the electric i is rather punchy. In fact, we didn’t find any problems overtaking vehicles at all, including a Saab/Subaru convoy that really didn’t like being passed. When driving on open roads and highways, it’s quite easy to forget you’re actually driving an electric car. It’s quite comfortable to put along at highway speeds, though maximum velocity is pegged at 81 mph.

In terms of operating modes, the i has three different ones, regular drive mode, ‘Eco’ and ‘Brake.’ The latter two are designed to conserve energy and maximize the car’s range, which is approximately 68 miles per single charge in real world driving (based on EPA tests).

What is interesting, is that in brake mode (best used for stop and go city driving where the car’s regenerative braking system works most effectively), it didn’t feel like the car was dragging a tree behind it.