Mitsubishi i EV Priced from $20,490 in the U.S., Close to $5,000 Less than Nissan’s Leaf

The main reason for which Mitsubishi will drop the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant models from its U.S. range is to focus on developing zero-emissions vehicles like the Mitsubishi i (also known as the i-MiEV in Europe). The Japanese carmaker announced at the New York Auto Show that the plug-in EV will arrive in U.S. showrooms in November 2011, with prices starting from $20,490 (€14,100) for the standard ES model and $22,490 for the better-equipped ES version, government subsidies included. Read more »

Euro NCAP Conducts its First Ever Plug-in EV Crash Test with the i-MiEV and Gives it Four-Stars

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the first ever plug-in electric vehicle to be tested by Euro NCAP and marks the start of a series of EV crash-tests planned for this year. Besides the i-MiEV, the European safety institute also rated five conventional models: the BMW X1, Hyundai ix20, Dacia Duster, Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Juke.

The EV obtained an overall four star rating, the same score being awarded to the i-MiEV's sister models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment. The result was judged as "creditable" by the Euro NCAP.

Read more »

LA Auto Show: Mitsubishi i gets westernized by fattening up, Priced from around $30,000

The North American i-MiEV is finally here to help rally the Mitsubishi troops in what has to be one of the company's final attempts to stay afloat here in the the States. The US i will be sold strictly as an electric vehicle and use Mitsubishi's innovative Electric Vehicle system (MiEV).

The company plans to roll out the "i" to West Coast dealers (specifically California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii) in November 2011, with the Northeast getting access by March 2012, followed by nationwide availability by the end of 2012. According to Mitsubishi, the U.S.-spec model's MSRP is expected to be around $30,000, not including Federal and available state financial incentives. For the record, the larger Nissan Leaf EV has an MSRP of $32,780, again, not including any tax cuts.

Read more »

Bigger is Better: Mitsubishi's US-Spec Wide-Bodied i-MiEV Revealed Ahead of LA Show

These are the first official photos of the North American version of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV all-electric city, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show, to be held from Wednesday, November 17 to Sunday November 28.

Even though big ideas can come in small packages, for most things in America, consumers believe that "bigger is better" and "better is bigger". And seeing what happened with Mercedes-Benz and its Smart Fortwo mini, Mitsubishi decided to "fatten-up" the North American version of the i-MiEV, and make it bigger than its Japanese- and European-spec counterparts.

Read more »

Mitsubishi's Future in America Uncertain, New Small Models Coming as Larger Models Fade

While Mitsubishi works on making a new global small car, any development on the future of its "larger" cars has been put on hold. What does that mean for Mitsubishi Stateside? Well, it doesn't look good.

The small car would possibly be offered here in 2012 (it's said to have sub-1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine), but it's hard to believe a small efficient car (and the Lancer family) could be enough to justify keeping the brand here. There's light on the horizon, but more on that in a bit.

Read more »