Since Mitsubishi first introduced the i concept back in 2003 it has been the subject of much speculation. Would it come to America? Would it be sold in the U.K.? Is it even any good? And that's just the gas version. The electric version, the i MiEV, has caused even more confabulation. Soon we will have our own opportunity to get up close and personal with these little machines when they make their North American debut at the New York International Auto show this coming week.

Hopefully, we'll even get news from Mitsubishi about their plans for selling these cars in the U.S. I mean, they can't just wave them under our noses and then whisk them away back to Japan. I think they've noticed that 42,000 people have put deposits down on a Smart ForTwo that gets the same mileage as the i but holds two fewer passengers for about the same price. I also think we'll be paying close attention to what side of the car the steering wheel is on.



[Source: Kicking Tires]

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As part the ongoing testing with the "i MIEV" research vehicle, Mitsubishi has delivered one of the cars to the Chugoku Electric Power Co. Earlier this year, cars were delivered to Tokyo Electric Power and Kyushu Electric Power as well. The power companies are evaluating the kei-car-based EVs and testing them to gauge their compatibility with and overall impact on the electrical infrastructure. The car delivered last Friday is finished in yellow with white doors and "hood" (the car's motor, etc is actually mid/rear-mounted), which are also emblazoned with cutesy Japanimation/Hello Kitty-esque critters. Also: dig the lightning bolt icon on the erstwhile fuel filler door.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Mitsubishi's annoucement of the "i MiEV" electric vehicle based on their "i" minicar has so far caused a bit of a stir. First, Automotive News reported that the car would be headed for the States. Then CNN said that the report was incorrect. Then, in a new article on Monday, AutoWeek, a sister publication of Automotive News, stated that Mitsubishi was still planning to bring the electric car to North America.

In all the confusion, we contacted Dan Irvin, director of corporate communications and public relations for Mitsubishi Motors North America, ourselves to get an official confirmation. In his response, Mr. Irvin said, "There is no current plan to bring an electric vehicle to the United States. MMC in Tokyo has clarified this point with Mr. Treece, the author of the article that you reference... Thanks for checking with us."

That aside, the development of the "i MiEV" is still moving forward. The rest of AutoWeek's article from Monday reports that Mitsubishi has abandoned the four in-wheel motors for a single motor which will power the two rear wheels. The reasons for this come down to conversion cost as the more traditional layout requires fewer modifications. Supposedly, the only major change to the "i" minicar's chassis comes in the form of reinforcing the rear cross member to support the weight of the batteries and motor.

As for timetables, Mitsubishi forsees a relatively quick development process. Next month, they'll begin joint research on the car with three Japanese electric utility companies. Currently, the EV gets an 80-mile range from its 330-volt lithium-ion batteries which provide 16 kilowatt-hours of energy. By the fall of 2007, the company hopes to supply five utilities with several dozen test-fleet cars that are capable of a 100-mile range using a 20-kwh power supply.

[Source: AutoWeek / Mitsubishi Motors North America]