Official Mitsubishi i-MiEV Thread

[GRA]

When I see one, words like 'modest' and 'unpretentious' come to mind, but those terms just evoke for me positive responses, as an image of the Bug immediately pops into my head. I don't know whether the modern U.S. public is ready to embrace such a car again, but I have hopes for Gen Y and car sharing.

It definitely is hard to overstate the departure from the norm that the early beetles represented to the 1950's and early 1960's American Car-Culture. The iMiev is a cornucopia of conveniences and comforts in comparison.

Yes, the bar as to what constitutes 'austere' for the American public has been raised enormously since the '60s.

 

[rmay635703]

IMHO, if the car didn't look so weird, it'd sell better in the US. If they fixed the styling, improved its acceleration a bit, gave it the same EPA range as the Leaf and made the interior not as spartan, they'd be able to move a LOT more.

I agree it looks weird, but I was tempted by it, and shied away because it looked last spring like they were dropping it altogether. The truth is, I wanted spartan. But maybe that just makes me weird. :roll:

Ray

You and me both, Ray But the range is a deal killer for me, and it really could use better accel at freeway speeds. As to its looks, well, if the meek ever do inherit the earth, they'll probably be driving iMiEVs! :lol: When I see one, words like 'modest' and 'unpretentious' come to mind, but those terms just evoke for me positive responses, as an image of the Bug immediately pops into my head. I don't know whether the modern U.S. public is ready to embrace such a car again, but I have hopes for Gen Y and car sharing.

Its very unfortunate that we didn't get the Japanese spec MIEV in terms of weight and body size, you gain about 5 miles because the japanese car is true kei car dimensions and more aero and lighter.

Would be a much better car as japanese spec (coming from someone who owns 2 road legal kei cars) I never saw any reason to bulk up the width of the car, my 250lb uncle has no trouble fitting into either of our narrow 4ft wide kei cars, not sure why auto companies are so afraid of going the whole 9 yards.

 

[TonyWilliams]

.... I never saw any reason to bulk up the width of the car, my 250lb uncle has no trouble fitting into either of our narrow 4ft wide kei cars, not sure why auto companies are so afraid of going the whole 9 yards.

The reason the car got bigger is because there is no market for the teeny tiny cars, and they might have trouble meeting crash worthiness in the US.

Even the larger US iMiev didn't sell. So, there's your reason.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

I saw my first iMiev up close at a dealer here this weekend, and it's still pretty small. Only room for four, and that's pretty tight. Not much rear leg room. Front seats right next to each other. Not much storage. The dash is spartan. The tires seem especially tiny even for such a small car, like toy tires. The seats seemed a bit cheap too. Didn't get the chance to drive it, but saw enough to rule it out for myself. Maybe as a car for our daughter though, especially if MA adds a rebate to the federal one, and it got down around $10k.

 

[RonDawg]

.... I never saw any reason to bulk up the width of the car, my 250lb uncle has no trouble fitting into either of our narrow 4ft wide kei cars, not sure why auto companies are so afraid of going the whole 9 yards.

The reason the car got bigger is because there is no market for the teeny tiny cars, and they might have trouble meeting crash worthiness in the US.

Even the larger US iMiev didn't sell. So, there's your reason.

To clarify Tony's post even further, Americans have been very suspicious of the safety of small cars for some time. It's somewhat of a reasonable concern given the number of 2.5-3 ton pickups and SUV's that have to share the roads with you.

Plus, Americans associate small cars with "cheap." Probably the best example sold in the US that turns buyers off is the Toyota Echo/Yaris. In most of their minds you only buy such a car because that's all you can afford, or you really need the low fuel consumption. Otherwise, if you can afford it, you tend to go for something larger. There's a good reason why the top selling cars are mid-size (growing quickly to full-size) vehicles like the Camry and Accord...and full-size pickups like the F-150.

It's only recently with the popularity of the Mini Cooper (which is not nearly as mini as the original), Fiat 500, new Ford Fiesta that Americans are starting to look at subcompact cars again, and still largely as fashion statements. Although the Mini Cooper (present form) has been out for over a decade, for the longest time it was pretty much unrivaled in that market. I would bet that today Chevy sells far more Impalas than Sparks.

If you look at the foreign brands, compare their biggest sellers in their home countries to their biggest sellers here in the US. That's one of the reasons why VW designed a Passat specifically for the US/Canadian market (it's longer than the EU-spec model in both wheelbase and overall length), or why Mitsubishi felt the iMiEV needed to be bigger.

As far as the iMiEV and why it sold so poorly over here, I'm sure that the fact that it looks (to American eyes) like a glorified golf cart didn't help, and when the Leaf came along and eventually undercut its price it was pretty much irrelevant in the US EV market.

 

[edatoakrun]

Interesting interview, excerpted for BEV/PHEV content below.

The battery shortage (sort of, IMO) explains Mitsu's rather baffling BEV/PHEV marketing in the USA.

Sounds like the April increase in battery production may allow Supplies of both the Outlander and i-MiEV to be on US dealer's lots later in 2014, and also allow the introduction of the Pajero PHEV at a later date.

TOKYO -- President Osamu Masuko has led a rebounding Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to record net income after years of restructuring. Last month, he launched a three-year business plan, dubbed New Stage 2016, that aims to boost global sales 29 percent to 1.43 million vehicles and North American sales by more than a third to 150,000.

Key to the plan is returning to Mitsubishi's traditional strength in SUVs and crossovers and focusing on electrified drive-trains. Mitsubishi also entered an agreement with the Nissan-Renault Alliance to cooperate on sedans, small cars and electric vehicles.

Masuko, 64, also pledges to keep selling in the United States and to look for ways to boost output at the company's North American assembly plant in Normal, Ill.

Masuko spoke through an interpreter with Asia Editor Hans Greimel.

Q. How solid is your recovery at Mitsubishi?

A. We are finally starting to see the fruits of the seeds we have planted. We're delivering a profit. This year, we laid the foundation for paying a dividend next year.

When I took office in 2005, I don't think there were many people who had confidence that a turnaround would come. Until now, we have faced lots of constraints. But these constraints are falling away. The growth starts from now, I believe.

What keeps you up at night when it comes to North America?

Right now, we are struggling with our U.S. operations. But as one of the developed economies, the U.S. has very large total demand. And it's one of the few developed economies in which demand is actually increasing. It is very important for us to do business there. We want to rebuild and improve our business.

You won't pull out or close your U.S. plant?

No. Last year, we started the reforms. We stopped producing old models and we started producing as well as exporting new models, such as the Outlander Sport. We are making full use of [our plant's] capacity. We have a full turnaround in the United States.

There is no way we are going to withdraw from the U.S. market.

When can you beat your 2002 record U.S. sales of 345,111?

We sold a lot at our peak. To achieve that level again would be very difficult. But with new products, including the Mirage from this year and the Outlander plug-in hybrid from 2015, we'd like to grow as much as possible.

What are the risks going forward?

We want to balance the production footprint across developed and emerging markets. We have production in Japan and the United States. But in the future, there are going to be foreign exchange issues as well as declines in some emerging markets. To hedge against such fluctuations, we need production in developed and developing countries...


What are your plans for plug-in hybrids?

We have the plug-in version of the Outlander and a plug-in version of the Outlander Sport, as shown at the Tokyo Motor Show. There will also be a plug-in Pajero. They aren't stand-alones. Within a nameplate, you will have a gasoline version, the plug-in, maybe a diesel.

One thing I can say for sure is that the plug-in hybrid market will grow. U.S. CAFE standards are becoming more stringent, so you need vehicles like plug-ins to satisfy them.

What about small electric vehicles such as the i-MiEV? Are you working on its successor with Nissan-Renault?

With Nissan and Renault, we're considering producing an all-electric minicar. We want to bring together our experts to bring down battery costs. And as an extension of that, we may consider an EV application in a car bigger than a minicar.

Are you going to do a next-generation i-MiEV?

Regarding the next generation, we're not sure if it would be the same size. It might be better to have a vehicle a little larger.

The problem at the moment is that we're not able to produce enough i-MiEV batteries. But from next April, there will be an increase in the production of batteries for the plug-in hybrids.

Why can't you get enough batteries?

Right now, we want maximum production of the plug-in hybrid, so i-MiEV battery production is being deprioritized. We can make only 30,000 plug-in vehicles this year. But from next April, battery output should increase to just over 5,000 units a month, and that means about 60,000 units annually for the plug-in. By then, we will have shifted battery production for the i-MiEV to a different plant...


Will you bring the Pajero SUV to the United States?

We would like to bring the next-generation version that we are developing, partly because it will have a plug-in hybrid version.

And you want to bring the plug-in version?

That's right. A plug-in hybrid Pajero...

http://www.autonews.com/article/20131216/OEM02/312169989/mitsubishi-chief-automakers-growth-starts-now#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[DaveEV]

The battery shortage (sort of, IMO) explains Mitsu's rather baffling BEV/PHEV marketing in the USA.

Sounds like the April increase in battery production may allow Supplies of both the Outlander and i-MiEV to be on US dealer's lots later in 2014, and also allow the introduction of the Pajero PHEV at a later date.

Makes sense given that the iMiEV will be coming back to the US market in late spring 2014 - they will probably get allocated batteries from the battery plant expansion.

The Outlander PHEV is so much more appealing to the market than the iMiEV it's no surprise they are using all the batteries there.

 

[GRA]

The Outlander PHEV is so much more appealing to the market than the iMiEV it's no surprise they are using all the batteries there.

I'd be more interested in the Outlander Sport PHEV, and this is the first I've heard they were going to do that. OTOH, the Sport may be a little too short (I'd prefer something in the 175"-180" range rather than 169"), while the Outlander (183") is too long.

 

[edatoakrun]

The battery shortage (sort of, IMO) explains Mitsu's rather baffling BEV/PHEV marketing in the USA.

Sounds like the April increase in battery production may allow Supplies of both the Outlander and i-MiEV to be on US dealer's lots later in 2014, and also allow the introduction of the Pajero PHEV at a later date.

Makes sense given that the iMiEV will be coming back to the US market in late spring 2014 - they will probably get allocated batteries from the battery plant expansion.

The Outlander PHEV is so much more appealing to the market than the iMiEV it's no surprise they are using all the batteries there.

Actually, it now sounds like the i-MiEV will be getting all the battery production sent to the USA, for at least another year.

TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has delayed the U.S. launch of its Outlander plug-in hybrid until 2015, two years after its global debut, because of bottlenecks in battery production.

The company is ramping up battery supply, but it won't be enough to start U.S. deliveries of the electrified crossover next year as planned...

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20131229/OEM06/312309967/battery-bottlenecks-delay-mitsubishi-plug-in-hybrid-launch#ixzz2oybCvOe9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/30/mitsubishi-outlander-phev-us-launch-delayed-over-battery-shortag/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[braineo]

Just got myself my 2nd EV, a 2012 iMiev SE with 700 miles for a steal of a price after both Federal and State GA rebates. I test drove the car and it was sufficient for my 46 mile rtp commute. I also can charge at work. A steal due to demo price of 19.3 before rebates.

 

[Randy3]

Just got myself my 2nd EV, a 2012 iMiev SE with 700 miles for a steal of a price after both Federal and State GA rebates. I test drove the car and it was sufficient for my 46 mile rtp commute. I also can charge at work. A steal due to demo price of 19.3 before rebates.

Congratulations on your purchase. We find the i-MiEV to be a perfectly acceptable car for all of our around town use. The after-rebate price we paid for our "i" was less than 1/2 the after-rebate price of our LEAF. Sounds like you found a similar deal.

You may be interested in the i-MiEV forum.

 

[DaveEV]

Looks like the '14 is starting to hit dealer lots looking at cars.com.

2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Available Now – Pricing, Options, Features, Etc.

Starting price is $22,995.

 

[RonDawg]

And it looks just like the old car

 

[TomT]

Just like the Leaf! :lol:

And it looks just like the old car

 

[RonDawg]

Just like the Leaf! :lol:

And it looks just like the old car

But the Leaf is selling in far greater numbers despite the higher price. I think the biggest reason the iMiEV hadn't been selling so well is the styling, even after Mitsubishi USA dropped the price. I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

 

[evnow]

I think the biggest reason the iMiEV hadn't been selling so well is the styling, even after Mitsubishi USA dropped the price. I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

Ron, you are just speculating. I doesn't sell for a number of reasons, least of which is the shape (BTW, I actually like the shape).

If the exact same car had a Toyota badge, it would sell a lot more. Esp. at these new prices.

 

[RonDawg]

I think the biggest reason the iMiEV hadn't been selling so well is the styling, even after Mitsubishi USA dropped the price. I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

Ron, you are just speculating. I doesn't sell for a number of reasons, least of which is the shape (BTW, I actually like the shape).

If the exact same car had a Toyota badge, it would sell a lot more. Esp. at these new prices.

Of course I'm speculating. It's not like I work for Mitsubishi or their advertising agency. Yes there are other reasons (smaller battery pack, smaller interior space, Mitsubishi's shaky presence in the US currently), but I would bet the styling is a huge turnoff. They took a year off...they had a year to at least make some improvements.

And the "i" in both ICEV and EV forms has been around for how many years? Part of the reason Mitsubishi is doing so badly here is because they have been letting their products languish largely unchanged for so long....how many times has the Camry and Accord and even Altima been revised since they introduced the last Galant? The Koreans are refreshing their cars even more frequently than the Japanese are.

I disagree about the Toyota badge making it sell "a lot more." Even Toyota (with the Scion brand) has found out that there are limits to people's tastes in cars. And the limited quantity RAV4-EV didn't exactly fly out of dealer lots either.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

But does it really undercut the Smart ED?

The $3000 discount promotion on the Smart has been running for quite a while now, which puts the Smart ED at $23500, pretty close to the i-MiEV after adding the mandatory destination fees and such...

I got another $1000 off for "loyalty", which is available for those who have an existing Mercedes or Smart product.

 

[RonDawg]

I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

But does it really undercut the Smart ED?

The $3000 discount promotion on the Smart has been running for quite a while now, which puts the Smart ED at $23500, pretty close to the i-MiEV after adding the mandatory destination fees and such...

I got another $1000 off for "loyalty", which is available for those who have an existing Mercedes or Smart product.

$22,995 is still less than $23,500. And that's the "official" MSRP, before any "loyalty" and other discounts, government incentives, and haggling. If the 2014 model sells as well as the 2012 and earlier models (meaning they sat on dealer lots forever), I can easily see Mitsubishi USA adding more incentives to drop the price below $20k before government incentives and fees.

 

[evnow]

Of course I'm speculating. It's not like I work for Mitsubishi or their advertising agency. Yes there are other reasons (smaller battery pack, smaller interior space, Mitsubishi's shaky presence in the US currently), but I would bet the styling is a huge turnoff. They took a year off...they had a year to at least make some improvements.

Would you buy the car if it looked different ? (really ?).

Personally - no. It make no difference. Same with Leaf. All I wanted was a "100 mile range" freeway capable car for under $40k - so I bought Leaf. If Leaf wasn't there, I'd have bought i - even though it would have fallen short on range (as Leaf does now in winter).

Whenever someone complains about the looks - when I probe further I see they have other issues and wouldn't buy the car anyway.