Mitsubishi’s much-hyped iMiev all-electric compact hatchback goes on-sale in August from only five dealerships (one each in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth).
While exact pricing is still being negotiated, Mitsubishi’s Vice-President of Corporate Strategy, Paul Stevenson, has confirmed the ground-breaking Mitsubishi iMiev will retail close to $50,000.
With production still restricted due to a shortage of batteries, Mitsubishi Australia will receive only five iMievs each month from its factory in Japan.
First announced in 2009, 100 iMievs have been under test with selected Australian companies for the last 12 months.
The version which goes on-sale in August is the 2012 model year Mitsubishi iMiev which gains standard side and curtain airbags plus stability control. In addition, the latest Mitsubishi iMiev runs an altered drive system with three driver-selectable modes – ‘Drive’, ‘Braking’ and ‘Comfort’ (each alters the amount of regenerative braking proving charge to the battery).
Private buyers will need to fit a suitable power outlet at home to re-charge their Mitsubishi iMiev (installed by an electrician at a cost of about $150). Then every time you re-charge your iMiev, expect only about $4.00 to be added to your electricity bill.
That $4.00 investment will give your iMiev a range of about 120kms in normal city driving.
The Mitsubishi iMiev thus joins the mainstream of Mitsubishi vehicles being sold in Australia – you simply go back to your dealership for service and the normal 10/5 warranty applies (battery warranty is five years).
While the larger Nissan LEAF all-electric hatchback is close to launch in Australia, Mitsubishi has drawn a line in the sand – the first to market with a mass-produced all-electric vehicle.
And while the $50,000 price tag seems steep, Mitsubishi points out Australian government policy is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to electric vehicles. North America offers a government incentive which lops $10,000 from the price of every electric vehicle and even Northern Ireland electric vehicle buyers enjoy a government subsidy of $7,042 per vehicle.
Mitsubishi also points out that the price of electric vehicles – like computers and flat-screen televisions - will reduce as technology develops. Research in North America predicts the cost of lithium-ion batteries will be cut by as much as 70 per cent by 2015 and the performance of batteries designed for electric cars is tipped to improve by a staggering 600 per cent by 2020 – and that means the range between recharges could grow to more than 600kms.
