|
By EWAN
KENNEDY in TOKYO
26 October 2009
Nowhere do electric cars make more sense than in huge cities where
large traffic jams are an ongoing and unpleasant way of life. We
have just spent a day in Tokyo at the invitation of Mitsubishi to
try out its new i MiEV electric car. This follows up from road
testing we carried out in Adelaide earlier this year as part of
the Australian evaluation of the Mitsubishi.
It may be small on the outside, but the Mitsubishi i MiEV is
surprisingly spacious in the cabin, being capable of carrying four
adults, though full-sized Aussie blokes may find it slightly
squeezy in the back. Two big blokes and a couple of kids will fit
in nicely. The boot is on the small side, but can carry a couple
of overnight bags, with some soft items packed in around them.
Our test drive in Tokyo confirmed our thoughts after the drive in
Adelaide. The car jumps off the line eagerly and feels as though
it's quicker in the zero to 30 km/h range than any four-cylinder
car. Indeed, the performance of this electric car is likely to
really appeal to those who simply enjoy driving a lively city
machine. The fact that it emits no pollutants from its tailpipe is
almost a bonus to guys and gals like that.
The Mitsubishi i MiEV is almost normal in its feel, sound and
general refinement. There is, of course, no noise from the
electric motor when the car is stopped because it isn't running.
Once on the move at a reasonable speed i MiEV creates the usual
sounds from road and wind noise as any other car, with only a
light humming sound from the electric motor. We feel that many
passengers may not realise that they aren’t travelling in a
petrol car.
The multiple lithium-ion batteries used in the i MiEV are similar
in concept to those used in mobile phones, laptop computers,
cameras, PDAs and the like. They take around seven hours to fully
charge from Australia's 240-volt power system and require a 15-amp
outlet.
Mitsubishi Australia envisages that i MiEV, and other electric
cars, could be charged at numerous roadside stops, such as parking
meters, shopping malls, office car parks, even drive-in cafes and
car washes.
A fast-charge system would take the batteries to about 80 per cent
of their full capacity in around 30 minutes, but there are no
installations in Australia at this stage. Details of the charging
infrastructure will be finalised later, keep in mind that these
are still early days in the introduction of electric vehicles.
A lot of Australian electricity is generated by coal-fired power
stations, which create carbon dioxide while doing so. However,
Mitsubishi assures us that the C02 created to charge its electric
cars is significantly lower than that produced by petrol-engined
cars of a similar size.
Current prices of the Mitsubishi i MiEV are likely to be in the
$50,000 to $60,000 range in Australia, which is a lot of money for
a car of this size.
Mitsubishi Motor Corporation (MMC) says that it's vital to build i
MiEV in large numbers to get its cost down. To achieve this, MMC
is actively talking to many governments worldwide about ways of
reducing the price. In other countries governments have granted
substantial subsidies on purchase price, free or low-cost
registration fees, free parking in cities, free use of toll roads,
and other incentives.
Though the company's representatives were too polite to say so
publically during our interviews with them, there was a definite
feeling that they would like Australian governments to be doing
more to promote the introduction of electric cars. Mitsubishi says
it's willing to send very high-level representatives to Australia
to talk to the appropriate officials.
Until definite results are achieved in Australia on government
assistance with the i MiEV, the local importer says it cannot set
a date for initial sales. But does say it would like to have first
cars on the road in Australia by mid 2010, with at least two
further evaluation vehicles being brought in before then.
The Ford Fiesta Econetic will have a recommended retail price of
$24,990 driveaway. While it's more expensive than the entry-level
models in the Fiesta range, the price is pretty reasonable for a
turbo-diesel car with significantly more equipment than the
low-cost variant.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
|
