So how to prop up sales? According to the company, it is apparently by moving away from the i-MiEV (and all electric cars), and into the extended range hybrid business:
“To solve this issue, our resolution was PHEVs, which accommodate the issue of cruising range, which now achieves 800km and also the infrastructure because using the petrol is actually generating the electricity, so I think we are accommodating those issues.”
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As for the i-MiEV, range anxiety is a very real hurdle to selling the car in a high, or even mainstream level volume, however the i-MiEV is far from even being considered a niche product at this point.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, is not priced competitively in any market in the world, mostly thanks to Nissan’s willingness to sell the LEAF at a loss while they try to solve a bad currency exchange on their own Japanese made EV.