The current economic climate has really sharpened the need to ween ourselves off petrol (although the near $2 a Litre pricing six months ago helped form that opinion as well), so the idea of a $30,000 electric car hitting Australian showrooms next year is really quite appealing. Tony Hagon at the SMH is saying that Mitsubishi’ MiEV, which resembles a SMART car and runs exclusively on a 47kW motor, is currently undergoing feasibility studies. However, he’s also quoted Mitsubishi’s Australian CEO Robert McEniry as saying the chances of it being sold next year are “very high”.The car has a 160km range, and can be fully recharged over 8 hours through your standard powerpoint, or 20 mins from a high-voltage outlet. And therein lies the current problem with electric cars – even though the SMH article says Mitsubishi is in talks with two suppliers about recharging infrastructure, the fact that you can’t just quickly juice up the car is going to severely restrict early adoption of the MiEV. Well, that and its looks…
If you want to have a look at the MiEVs in person, Mitsubishi are bringing two to Australia in February – one for the Melbourne Motor Show, while the other will be “driven by potential customers”, whatever that means. Hopefully that they’ll be stopping by the Gizmodo offices, perhaps?
[SMH]
PuffinFresh
January 30, 2009 at 3:05 PM
“resembles a SMART car”
Report PermalinkDon’t you mean completely rips off the design of SMART cars?
Aaron
January 30, 2009 at 4:33 PM
Actually the Smart forfour shares most of its components with the Mitsubitshi Colt, so the similarities are likely more than cosmetic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Forfour
Report Permalinksketch
January 30, 2009 at 6:55 PM
While electricity in Australia is generated by coal-fired power stations this is a very bad idea. Just 200MW of power from a new, ‘efficient’ coal power station emits as much CO2 as the entire Western Australian vehicle fleet, and WA peaks at about 4,000MW on a hot day and never runs less than about 1,000MW, most of it coal-derived. Charging up such cars is bad, bad juju.
Report PermalinkwfdTamar
January 31, 2009 at 8:47 AM
The answer to the charging time issue is to use the cordless drill/LPG bottle rental principal. An easily removable battery pack that can be changed in minutes. Charge the extra one at home, or fuel stations could own them & charge them (the battery packs). If the battery packs were standardised across all vehicles the fuel stations would only need to keep one type (used in multiples for different sized vehicles).
Report PermalinkEddie
January 31, 2009 at 2:25 PM
“the fact that you can’t just quickly juice up the car is going to severely restrict early adoption”
This statement is said a lot, but most people drive less than 100km for their daily commute and can easily recharge overnight, so I don’t see any factual basis to the statement. To me it seems like negative propaganda distributed by oil companies. Bring on the electric cars.
Report PermalinkBen
January 31, 2009 at 5:26 PM
“the fact that you can’t just quickly juice up the car is going to severely restrict early adoption of the MiEV” – so what! the fact that I can juice up the car at home is far more appealing and I would expect, cheaper than petrol!
Report PermalinkGeoff Henderson
January 31, 2009 at 11:12 PM
This is a good shot Mitsubishi!
Forget the looks, that can be fixed. See the Tesla (www.teslamotors.com) or the GM EV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1).
About range – if the average lourney is 30km, that means a recharge every 3-5 days. Is that so bad if all you are doing is plugging it into a power point?
Give the car a break, it has huge potential to curb emissions.
Report PermalinkJohnny Wakko
January 31, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Can the green designers please stopping making less poluting vehilces look so stupid? A little style would assist in appealing to the market. Aint no “ethanol rocker powered science” to work that one out.
Report Permalinkmichael
February 1, 2009 at 2:22 AM
Great idea, i look forward to the day when cars like these become common place, so we can finally give the greedy oil companies the bird, and surely it would`nt be too hard to have a recharging infrastructure set up at variouse places, (creating employment anyone)?
Report PermalinkDavid Rowe
February 1, 2009 at 7:20 AM
We drive and electric car (a Daihatsu Charade conversion), and from our experience charging time is not a problem. We just plug it in when we get home and forget about it. Like a mobile phone. Takes 5 seconds and easier than visiting a petrol station.
People make the mistake of thinking the electric car experience must be identical to a petrol car to be viable.
Report Permalinktrinest
February 1, 2009 at 11:44 AM
why the hell are new cars so bloody ugly? expecially eletric cars.
Report PermalinkJack
February 1, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Perhaps Mitsubishi could provide, as an optional extra, a solar charger for the car. Cars are often parked in the sun anyway, and it would reduce reliance on fossil-fueled electricity.
Alternatively, incorporate solar panels in the roof.
Report PermalinkLynzz
February 1, 2009 at 1:55 PM
$30,000 is quite steep for technology that is in some ways immature. Hopefully China should soon be releasing $10,000 electric cars – I’ll wait. Who cares what a car looks like? If ego wasn’t involved and capitalism didn’t have such vested interests, cars bodies would be made out of formed cellulose. Brown, dull and rough makes sense for transport!
Report PermalinkTezza
February 1, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Brilliant! Seems like a perfect around town car which is all a high percentage of people are interested in.
Report PermalinkSepius
February 1, 2009 at 6:44 PM
Great idea and about time, who really drives more than 100km in one trip in one day any way, and no need to go to the servo for fuel, can do it all at home. Yep big plus, and as for power, well if it can be charged from a gang of solar cells … that is good “juju” …. however, I think a sub $20k price tag would be “more responsible”
Report PermalinkTom Edgar
February 1, 2009 at 7:07 PM
The venerable British store Harrods of Knightsbridge used electric delivery vehicles long before, during and after WW2. Primarily they were used as their silence would not be as disturbing to the gentrified clients as conventional vehicles. They had many lead acid batteries and on return from their rounds would be re charged whilst reloading, the driver taking another, ready to go vehicle.
Tom Edgar. Glen Aplin Queensland
Report PermalinkBasil
February 1, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Try http://www.energetique.com.au
Report PermalinkK
February 1, 2009 at 9:45 PM
Other than the paint job, I think it looks quite cute. What are you guys expecting? Something all red with flames down the side? A bull-bar?
Report PermalinkChris
February 1, 2009 at 10:50 PM
When I visited London I noticed at Sainsbury’s Supermarket at North Greenwich there were priority parking spaces reserved for electric cars only. They were close to the entrance and had a free plug in and recharge while you shop option. Given the Australian talent for copying overseas ideas instead of originating them we could possibly see the same here to encourage electric car use.
Report PermalinkRichard Oates
February 1, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Why are all new concept cars so unattractive? Why not use the styling of a popular model and make the whole package so much more appealing.
Report PermalinkBrian
February 2, 2009 at 12:00 AM
I would drive one. Cina has many styles, was in Shanghai recently and couldnt tell them from internal combustion cars. They are mainstream, check them out at alibaba.com search electric cars and you will see China’s solutions.
Report PermalinkJon
February 2, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Why don’t they make electric cars look like normal cars? I don’t understand why they have to make them look weird
Report PermalinkTrevor
February 2, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Check out this site for electric cars being built and sold in central Victoria RIGHT NOW.www.bev.com.au
Report Permalinkkarl
February 2, 2009 at 10:45 AM
12k usd!!! Why can our governemnt not do the same for zero-emissions cars here in Australia? The 2010 Mitsubishi i MIEV is expected to go on sale by the end of 2009 for around 2.5 million yen ($24,000 usd), although Japanese government subsidies for zero-emissions cars reduce this price by 50 percent.
Report PermalinkLabsci
February 2, 2009 at 10:50 AM
The $12,000 difference in price between this car, and a similarly sized car, such as the Getz, would buy about 5-10 years worth of fuel, depending on usage. But it to save the environment, maybe, but don’t get it to save money.
Report PermalinkA shame, because if it was economically viable, it would sell. At $30,000 it will be just a novelty.
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