Today, on World Environment Day, Mitsubishi unveiled their new-generation (production model) i-MiEV, set to go on sale to the public in Japan next April. Notice the hyphen in i-MiEV, used to delineate the advance experiment from the production model. According to Mitsubishi, this vehicle is the culmination of 40 years of development work, described by them as "the pioneer that will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society." AllCarsElectric.com's ride and drive review of the advance experiment model can be read here.
The i-MiEV will be offered on a "maintenance lease" basis later this year to 1,400 Japanese local authorities and businesses, and will start taking orders from the general public in July.
Aside from the addition of the hyphen in the official name, the i-MiEV appears to vary only slightly from the advance experiment model. It still looks like a cute, high-tech bug. It still features zero drive-time CO2 emissions and a range of 160 km on a single charge. The i-MiEV can be recharged in three ways: a 100-volt or 200-volt outlet, and at quick-charge stations being constructed across Japan.
Source and photo: Mitsubishi
