Mitsubishi didn't need a survey to find out if Lawson likes the iMiEV. The Japanese convenience store chain has ordered 150 of the electric jelly beans to replace some of its commercial vehicles starting in the summer. The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that this might be the first step in Lawson's electric shift: all 1,500 Lawson vehicles will probably go electric "in the future." An even bigger deal is that Lawson is considering installing electric vehicle chargers in its parking lots. There are about 8,000 Lawsons in Japan, and the availability of public charging stations could quickly become a non-starter with that kind of infrastructure. Lawson's "corporate social responsibility" platform includes carbon-reducing efforts and collecting donations for a tree planting campaign.


[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun via EVWorld]

Mitsubishi must be enjoying seeing how much attention the all-electric iMiEV is getting. We've seen Helen Clark, the prime minister of New Zealand, take a ride in Tokyo, an HD view of the car on iTunes, and a video of the car driving in the mountains of Japan. These are just the beginning, as frequent tipster Yanquetino has found three more for our viewing pleasure.

First, a test drive by Popular Mechanics, which looks like it was filmed in New York City, probably during the auto show in March. In this clip we learn that the car uses 47 kWh when in main drive mode and 18 kWh in economy mode. Second, MSN Autos drives the car and shows just how much space is available in the rear (something we discovered when we drove the iMiEV in NYC). Will all your friends be calling you to come by with the iMiEV when they want to move? No, but if you've got to carry a chair or two around town, the iMiEV is able to do so. Lastly, a clip on YouTube from Japan where the host get a ride on a test track and the iMiEV races an ICE-powered i down the strip (guess who wins). While Yanquetino says he thinks the show might be designed for teenagers, this is just how TV shows are in Japan. The YouTube segment is the only one that's embeddable, and it's available after the jump.

Whilst some of us were hobnobbing about L.A. and driving a Tesla Roadster, others of us at ABG had to content ourselves with watching the Mitsubishi i MiEV drive around of New York city via a free download from iTunes. The fact that it was available in high definition (HD), as well as standard definition (SD), helped soothe the soul slightly. Of course it's not the same as actually driving the car in NYC, which we've also done, but the having the camera in a chase car helps give this film more of that 3rd person point of view. If you're one of the tens of millions of folks who has iTunes on your computer, click here. If you're not, click here and download it so you can watch. Thanks to Yanqetino for the tip!




[Source: Mitsubishi via iTunes]

If you live in the UK and have been pining for a chance to buy the i-MiEV all-electric city car when it appears on your shores, now is the time to register your interest with Mitsubishi. According to poster Nikki on the Electric Vehicle Discussion List (EVDL) Mitsubishi has told her (I'm assuming it's a "her") the cars may arrive as early as Q1 next year. Quantities will be extremely limited at first so if you are sure you want one you should take immediate action by clicking here and give them all your contact info. Curiously, Misubishi refers to the car as the "i-EV" on this site.

If you live in the U.S., there isn't anywhere to officially declare our purchasing intentions though unofficially you can always sign this petition to Mitsubishi and hope that gets their attention. We'll let you know if it does.



[Source: EVDL via G-Wiz Owners Club]

The Mitsubishi i MiEV electric vehicle is not standing still. In an announcement from Tokyo today, Mitsubishi announced that the jellybean will be on display at the Beijing International Motor Show that starts next week. In the press release about this (which also tells us that about the new Lancer Evolution and is pasted after the jump), Mitsubishi calls the MiEV "a symbol of the company's approach to environmental issues and with a view to introduction on markets outside Japan." That sure sounds like the forces pushing to bring this car to production are not being silenced from within the company. This would be good - no, great - news.

Also, as an addition to our post the other day about the i MiEV videos the other day, tipsters Yanquetino and Amtoro point us to one more video featuring the cute little ride. This video shows the MiEV being unloaded from a transport truck and, as Yanquetino explains, a lot more than that:

Unless I am interpreting the numbers incorrectly, it looks like the engineers take the iMiEV on a hill-climbing test run, from 663m (2,175 ft.) to 2,450m (8,038 ft.), a total vertical ascent of 1,787m (5,863 ft.) over a distance of 28.7km (18 miles).

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the video occurs at 5 minutes, 15 to 25 seconds, when they are going back down the mountain. It shows that the power gauge is now below zero, in the negative numbers, thanks to regen. You can also see that the battery charge is at about 75%. And at 5:21 you'll actually see the charge move another bar closer to full.

I'll just add that the video seems to be dated 2007/11/07 (according to a date at the bottom of the player). Who knows where things stand today. Thanks to Yanquetino and Amtoro for the tips!

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is one of the most exciting pure-electric projects discussed by a major automaker. For one thing, the numbers being tossed around for this city car are astounding: something around 100 miles per charge (depending on driving style) and 1,000 vehicles that might be ready for sale for €17,000 ($24,800US) in 2009 or 2010. The trouble is, for American drivers, that these vehicles are only going to be available in Japan and Europe (so far, Mitsubishi has only said "maybe" to U.S. sales of the i-MiEV).

So, what's the answer? An online petition organized by one Ben Robeson and tipped to AutoblogGreen by Steven L. The petition encourages Mitsubishi Motors North America to bring the i-MiEV here because "the American public is ready for this type of vehicle" (read the full text after the jump or sign on here). As Steven wrote to us, this call won't have a lot of impact unless there are a few thousand signatures, which might take a while. I can't tell when the petition was put online, but it currently has just 75 votes.


Related:

• Mitsubishi testing upgraded i-Miev in Japan
• Mitsubishi's all-electric i MiEV may arrive earlier than expected
• Why Mitsubishi is so bullish on the i MiEV

[Source: Petition Online]

While other automakers turn choke resources to hybrid technology, Mistubishi is putting a lot of eggs into the pure-electric basket. Automotive News (subs req'd) says that Mistubishi's push is being driven by two things - the company doesn't have the funds to try and catch up with the hybrid crowd and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. president Osamu Masuko, who drives an EV himself.

Masuko told AN's David Sedgwick that, "We were not able to put all our resources into hybrids. We are climbing the mountain, but we are finding a different route to the summit." The result of this different route is, of course, the i MiEV, which we've pretty much discussed to death on these pages. When the EV hits Japanese showrooms in 2010 (and European ones after that), remember that this is a company that deciced to leap over the 2007 all-hybrid mentality. I'm betting this will pay off for the three diamonds.



[Source: David Sedgwick, Automotive News

The all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV is no stranger to us by this point (see links below). Our friends over at Autoblog have snapped a gallery full of pictures of the i-MiEV Sport version that's on display over at the Tokyo Motor Show - access it here.

Tech-On also brings us news that the i-MiEV has been given the go-ahead for field tests and is now much closer to commercial availability. The revamped i-MiEV is quieter, has lighter powertrain components and could be for sale by 2009 with lithium ion batteries. Details available at Tech-On but I'll relay these figures: 160 km range from a full charge that takes 7 hours (220V) or 14 hours (100V).

UPDATE: Domenick makes another good catch, found at the Car Connection, which gives slightly different numbers: "A microwave wireless recharging system is used. The transmitter is housed on the garage floor, and a receiver is mounted under the lithium ion batteries. Recharging takes 17 hours at 100 volts input. Using 200 volts cuts the time in half, and an 80-percent charge can be obtained in 35 minutes with a 200-volt quick charger."

Related:

• The Sun drives the Mitsubishi MiEV and finds it acceptable
• CAR likes the Mitsubishi i-EV even better than the gas version
• Mitsubishi iMiEV gets 20-30 percent more range from new battery
• Tokyo Preview: More official pictures of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV sport
• Mitsubishi's i-EV moving towards production, available perhaps in 2008

[Source: Autoblog, Tech-On, h/t to Domenick]

The Mitsubishi i MiEV stores energy for propulsion in a lithium ion battery pack that now has twenty to thirty percent more capacity than the last version. The battery is produced by a new joint venture company owned by GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi. With these latest cells, the i MiEV has had its range bumped from 81 miles to about 99-106 miles per charge. The battery company is not exclusive to Mitsubishi and they will make there energy storage systems available to any car-maker that's interested. Mitsubishi hopes to have a commercial launch of an electric car using these new lithium batteries by 2010.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

While there are electric cars available today, no large automaker is offering one. Mitsubishi might just be the first out of the gate with a plug-in car (not a hybrid) called the i-EV (aka i-MiEV). If sources withing the company are telling The Daily Telegraph in Australia the truth, the small electric car could be on sale as early as next year. Apparently, the electric "i" is off the concept stand and onto the streets as an evaluation vehicle. Mitsubishi has been working on this car for a while (see the collection of links below), so it's not crazy talk to suggest it will be available in 2008.

What kind of numbers might the i-MiEV boast? The Daily Telegraph says a 160 km (100 mile) range and a top speed of 130 km/h (about 80 mph). Standard home charging will happen overnight, but a 3-phase 200 volt 50kW QuickCharger will give you an 80 percent charge in half an hour.

Unfortunately, the Daily Telegraph story is only available on Lexis-Nexis, as far as I can tell, so no link.

Related:

• Tokyo Preview: More official pictures of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV sport
• Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport
• Brits might get Mitsubishi's all-electric i-Miev in 2011
• Mitsubishi delivers i MIEV to Chugoku Electric Power Co.
• Mitsubishi abandons in-wheel motors for electric car, still no plans to bring it to the U.S.

[Source: The Daily Telegraph (Australia)]