i MiEV Electric Car to be Sold 1 Year Ahead of Schedule in Japan

This car is so cute!
I'm considering this or the Th!nk vehicle for my next vehicle.

Steve, that argument has been refuted *so often*, I'm getting tired of doing it. In short: Even with coal, still more efficient. But even US is only 50% coal, off peak, that energy is wasted anyway, so might as well charge cars. easier to clean up a few power plants than hundreds of millions of tailpipes, solar, wind, goethermal are growing, etc. Do your own research.

I truly love the innovation going on. BUT PLEASE get this charge range UP! Great price and great size (four seats!) but the only way to truly come out ahead is not limiting people to their immediate area. We need to see a minimum of 400+ to a charge. Tesla has set the bar with range. Lets get going and truly knock it out of the park!

"I truly love the innovation going on. BUT PLEASE get this charge range UP! "

Just speculation on my part, but that range might be good for Japan, and maybe they'll try to cram more batteries in it for the US version.

$28000 US for a 100 mile range car? Pretty steep. I'll wait...DB

28,000 dollars seems a bit high :(

I read a few months ago it would be about 16,000 euro. Which is it? Usually 28,000 dollars works out at 28,000 euro, which is way to expensive for this type of car. Very few Mitsubishi cars cost this much. To give you a clue 28,000 euro is about 50,000 dollars.

I think cars in general are more expensive in Japan, so it might not convert to the same thing..

But 28k for an electric car is pretty nice if you consider that your fuel costs will be much lower than a regular car. Probably best used as an urban car, or as a second car, though.

But cool to see the tech getting actually sold to people.

OK, I agree that a range increase will help sell middle and upper class Americans.

However, the best way to get EVs in the hands of most Americans is to lower the price.

You can get a car with relatively low problems and low mpg for about $2000 used. People that buy EVs aren't reselling them cheap, so the working poor and the lower middle class cannot afford one.

Why can't we stream line them & mass produce them? We have the technology and no one is acting on it. Don't these companies see that more sales at a lower price can mean higher profits than a few sales at a high price?

And if we were able to put them in the hands of a majority of the people, charging stations would show up everywhere. Coffee shops? Restaurants? Who knows?

Charging stations could make up for the low range. People could stop for lunch after driving 100 miles and then continue on their way after charging.

Andrea, the first EVs won't target everybody, the same way that computers, cell phones, CD players, DVD players, etc.. started a bit more expensive and were bought by early adopters.

We just need to hope that the first generation is a big success so that the second gen comes faster and cheaper.

I'm happy to see this car arrive faster.

Exactly, a car with a 100 mile range can target a huge number of people but not everyone.Currently I have no need to own a car, but if I did I'd be much more likely to buy a $30,000 PHEV with a 40 mile range than an all-electric with a 100 mile range.
Still, there is no better way to drive improvements in battery technology than to show that it is profitable to do so.

Oh god, car owners are such whiners.

"It needs to have a 400+ mile range and be much cheaper!"

Are you kidding me? With the older (and much cheaper) lead acid batteries, you'd be lucky if you could get a 30 mile range in a car this size. To quarduple the iMEIV's range, you would need to at least triple the price with current technology. A 400 mile (affordable) electric car is at least 15 to 20 years away. That's why a Tesla costs 3x as much.

Moreover, 100 miles is more than enough to get you to the nearest Greyhound station. If you want to leave town, it's much cheaper, much easier, and more social.

Then there's this comment:

"You can get a car with relatively low problems and low mpg for about $2000 used."

Really? And how much can you get a cheap new car for? This is a new car, thus it is more expensive. Lots of new cars cost more than this. As for the resale value of an electric, it's worth noting that unless the battery is toast, every other part of the drivetrain is about 10x more reliable than a gas powered car. With regenerative braking, the brakes don't even need much attention. There's no exhaust to replace and no cooling system to speak of. That's 90% of the complexity and maintenance on a car right there, so it's no wonder its resale value is high - a 5 year old car still works like it's brand new.

While this may not be the perfect prototype, it is good to see electric vehicles in general hitting the market. Where are the US manufacturers on this? I read a while ago about some great innovations in battery technologies by North American companies, but have yet to see electric cars hitting the market over here:
http://www.brightfuture.us/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=27

i can't remember the vehicle that was using it but, i remember one that had a small trailer with a generator on it that attached to the car when you needed to make longer trips. elegantly simple.

I want one but, alas, am too poor.

I will continue to buy cheap 4 cylinder vehicles but am very impressed with the attempts to make the recharging stations function via Renewable Energy inputs.

As an Australian I feel I must hand it to the Japanese as being the clever country.

I am sick of our country pretending it's smart when it's really just stuck in the 50s and sleeping through such exciting times.

Electric cars can already pay for themselves.

100 miles with 16 kWh energy
$0.0986 kWh - ave US price for electricity

$1.58 to drive 100 miles in this electric car

29 MPG city Toyota Yaris EPA new system
$4.104 av cost US gas 10 July 2008 AAA

$14.15 to drive 100 miles in this tiny gas car

Oh yeah, you also need 4 oil changes and 1 coolant change a year and the price of gas will go up in the future or maybe you live where gas is already $9/gal or more.

Range? According to the DOT the average US driver racks up 12,000 miles a year but that's only 33 miles a day. Most people dramatically overestimate the distance they travel because of all the time wasted at lights & in traffic. This electric car can go 3x as far as the average US driver does every day and the vast majority of the world drives less than we do.

keep the cars expensive.
If we replace every last gas powered car with hybrids or full electrics, we will still have the biggest issue with our auto dependent country- traffic congestion and sprawl.
getting people out of car ownership and using car shares, transit, bikes, and their feet would really make an impact.

if 28k is so expensive, share it with a neighbor or 2.Then it's 14k, about as much as a Yaris. And a Yaris is no treat to drive long distances. It's a cheap car made for short distances. Its a station car. Just like this one.
Ad-hoc or casual car sharing services should be considered as much as car pooling or transit as a solution.

I'm glad I won't need a car for at least 4 years. Hopefully, prices will decrease with newer cheaper technologies and mass production.

Yes.
THIS new technology is the solution.

It only costs $28,000 that you can borrow on credit and send to Japan. And then the six billion dollars for a new "clean" power plant... but don't worry, we'll have the government pay for that (with money it borrows from China). Then when the US is bankrupt, and our kids are stupid from having crap underfunded schools, they can work in the polluting factories that we sent overseas 10 years ago.

But it's ok. Because you saved the world by buying an electric car.

This is wrong.
Here's an idea. Buy a bike. Move close to work (imagine that). Spend some money on schools and public transit and put the rest in the bank.
And stop buying crap YOU DON'T NEED and CAN'T AFFORD (as an individual or as a country).

If GM would make a car like this and sell it for $10,000 they would sell 10,000,000 the first year. I know they would lose they're ass but they're going to do that anyway so why not corner the market and create customers for life. They could market it by showing how much each car cost to make and saying something like were losing $2000 on each car but we care about the American people more than profit and this is the car working Americans need.

The VAST majority of working Americans DON'T need cars.
That is the problem. People think they need cars to get coffee on their way to work, and to pick up groceries.

Go to China, how many people use cars everyday?
Go to Japan, how many people use cars everyday?
Go to Europe, how many people use cars everyday?

If density is the problem, then we need to live more densely.

We live in a COMPETITIVE global economy. Like Thomas Friedman says, the world is flat.
America no longer has the best system of government and economics, which allowed us to maintain an advantage over other countries. Other countries have caught up, and are working harder and WAY SMARTER than us.

We built a country on cars thinking that we could afford the cushion. WE CAN'T ANYMORE.

Anyway you slice it, it is uncompetitive, unethical, and irresponisble to waste so much energy on personal transportation, no matter where the energy comes from.

16000 Euro is about 25,400 US dollars at today's exchange rate.

100 miles is a bit low, but batteries are a large percentage of the cost of the car. The car is clearly designed for commuting and city travel, and one would presumably own a different car if one drove more miles than that on a daily basis. The Tesla Roadster (their only model as yet in production) uses proprietary battery technology, plus regenerative braking and other technology, to bring its range up to about 225 miles -- and it's a $100,000 car! We can expect improvements in range and hopefully price, but just the fact that this car is on the market, or will be very soon, is exciting in itself.

Dave

Great points from everyone, especially TomCat & Mooo.

I'm still asking the same question - how do we fix the problems associated with the astronomical # of working poor in the US who own gas-guzzling, cheap, polluting vehicles?

If we aren't going to make inexpensive electric vehicles, what can be done?

If we are going to make inexpensive elect. vehicles, we need to do it now! We had a successful electric car with mass appeal - the Prius. Now is the time to start moving forward.

Please don't return to the argument that $ is saved in the long run. I know that, but many people cannot afford to pay for groceries, let alone a car payment. High resale value may be warranted, but that doesn't change this problem.

You guys are not gonna believe this but there's this electric vehicle called the train that carries a bunch of people quickly at a time and where a passenger costs the same energy as lit light bulb.

I think this vehicle was features on the movie The Happening and was probably CGI.

Here come the japanese again and this time there's no Hummer or SUV at the end of the tunnel for the Big 3.

No good having an electric car if you don't have solar power. Perhaps a small roof model could trickle into the car a charge enough to get ya home!

Mandate ALL new housing to have solar power.
If you get an electric car get solar panels. No need for new power plants as you have tons of excess power at night and SOLAR supplies it during the day. Anyone who owns a home can get solar panels that pay for itself in 7-10 years. The price comes down with a larger market!

Chowderhead asks: "How do we solve the problem for the poor?" Here's a frightening prospect for Americans: This problem solves itself. I pay around eight bucks US per gallon for petrol in Oz... and that's cheaper than most of Europe and many other western countries. Diesel is more expensive... around $10.00 per gallon. We (all) face the prospect of $20.00 / gal soon. Don't laugh, as I did, when some fool said petrol would double in price. It has... and will _again_... within a few years. For Americans, realities _we've_ faced for years, will create immense change, because your average salaries are so much lower than most... and because many of you are used to driving long distances daily. Kids here no longer cruise around in cars as much as they used to... and the suburbs are just starting to experience the minor crime issues once reserved for cities. The Tesla is cheap. I want one, RHD, please. The Mitzi is dirt cheap. Once you pay over $8.00 per gallon, you'll really appreciate that. Hyundai's 300 km+ EV is due 2012. It's all starting to come together...

THESE cars may be expensive, but some people will buy them, use them, and then sell them when they buy newer cars. As such, older models will work their way down the chain to those who may not be able to afford newer vehicles.

In fact, that's exactly what happens with today's gas-powered models.

"If GM would make a car like this and sell it for $10,000 they would sell 10,000,000 the first year.

I know they would lose they're ass...."

Enough said. (And that's lose THEIR ass...)

I say it is about time, I would love to have one of these cars not just to save the money in the long run since I usually keep my cars for long periods of time, but I would like my country to help with the global warming issues also which this President seems to think does not exist.
I would like to put solar panels on my roof but have to look into all that stuff.
I'm glad someone in the world is starting this, GM should and maybe are in other countries, but we need this here in the USA and we need to subsidise companies that are researching clean natural energy. My big push is Algae I think it will be a winner in time if giver a chance to mass produce, it already has shown that it can produce energy 100's of times more efficient then corn and does not take agriculture land to implement.

I think it's great to have these new all electric cars being manufactured. Heck with the last oil crisis back in the 1970's, we had big gas guzzliers being made(SUV's now). Hmmm? Interesting!

Does it seem history has repeated itself, we fell for it again!!! Most of us were alive back then right? Us in our 40's witnessed what happened the first time.

The VW bug started to really sell, people accepted gas conserving cars. Well, I have one of those still. People say, oh the gas mileage must be great!!! Please, it may be better than a SUV, but I still get sticker shock at the pump. Small tank I have to go more. Plus, it's not eco-friendly as an electric car.

Anyways back to Eco cars, I use to think bio-fuel was the way. These developing alternative fuels to get away from our polluting petroleum, to slow the impedding warming. Well, what's causing this want of alternative fuels? Price, more than enviromental consciousness I feel.

So I thought about what is going to probably happen. The big oil producers, will just switch to the new developing market of alternative fuels. Then we will be right back in the same situation. We need our cars, does mass transit go everywhere you need to go? How much longer does it take to get to work?

They say it's supply and demand that controls prices. Do we really believe this? Is it just supply, or is it people who don't care about the welfare of the general population? Aren't we being controlled like puppets?

So, I concluded electric has to be the real way to get out from under two thumbs, pollution and uncontrolable cost of fuel. If we had solar panels available on people's houses, they can not only make their own power, they can charge up their electric cars. That's true freedom. Getting out of this horrible loop of monopololistic creed.

But let's hope somehow that these new bio-fuel producers, alternative type energy producers, and eco-type vehicles don't become the new puppetiers with again out of reach high prices.

By any chance, does anyone knocking the iMiEV have ACTUAL experience driving and comparing an electric car with a gasoline car. (There are several hundred people out there who have built their own OR have owned a corporation built electric.) What is your experience?

...and just for perspective anyone out there ACTUALLY remember buying the first personal computer and the costs and abilities of those models? I think the most perfect person is justified in waiting for the most perfect car, but if mankind thinks they need to wait for her to receive hers we will need to give up civilization. As for me, I want to live within my planetary means, but I perceive its possible even with an electric car like the iMiEV. Presently I consume less than 2 planets of resources, which beats the 4 and more most Americans (even green) live. And that's with a hybrid! I challenge anyone to do better than that and still participate in our society. If you do we need to do an article on you.

These cars are just too dang expensive.
Two words... Air Car.

"I truly love the innovation going on. BUT PLEASE get this charge range UP!...We need to see a minimum of 400+ to a charge."

And if it's not too much trouble, can you have it also slice my cucumber sandwiches and fix them with the crusts off, thenk you veddy much.

PUH-LEASE!

100 mile range is damned incredible for an entry level car like this with battery technology still in it's infancy.

its not just the cost of fuel we must think about...we dont need.. engine oil...oil filter..air firlter..spark plug.etc etc...service bills will be much less or non existent

The price of oil has been inflated by saber-rattling, and by speculators riding the price up as an investment. The cost of pointless bellicosity on the part of oil producer nations could be reduced if oil companies took control of the oil producing places. Governments should not run oil companies (like they nearly all do in OPEC). When government runs companies, it messes up markets.
It is a disgrace that America set the price of oil below market price in Iraq. Shortages! Surprise! Economics 101, boys! Newspeople are just as ignorant as Bush's generals.

I don't care what any of you guys say. I'm buying one as soon as I can!

Does this mean MOOO's going to bite my head off when I say I've already plunked $3000 down on a new Electric Scooter which costs me about $1.02 for about 100 miles (it only has about a 45 mile range, but that's good for three days, recharge overnight and good into the weekend).

No oil changes, all LED lights, five compact batteries wired in series, only need to replace the tires every few years. No noise, no pollution (unless I've eaten Taco Bell), no major maintenance, etc., etc.

There's more to electric vehicles than just oil dependency. Tires and Asphault still need oil, the family vacation car still will need gas, but imagine four Japanese (or 1.5 obese Americans) car-pooling and ride sharing with this. 100 miles probably means only charging it once per week, and it's as small as the SMart ForFour, so easy parking. And if you could just convince 4 SUV owners to purchase one of these as a Ride Share group, then this becomes a $7000 boon to traffic congestion and parking!

No transmission/ no differential, no gas tank, chassie modification much simpler for electric motor (lighter frame), plastic panels like the doors on a Saturn View and on race cars, more engineering options for crash safety, resulting in much lighter car. I know batteries will add to the weight but the whole configuration of the car will be changed resulting in weight savings. Weight is as important as batteries.

I am disgusted and angry with the printed media, the broadcasted media for conspiring with the criminal leadership in the White House all the way down to City Counsel in the United States of America (including criminal peeping toms and janes.

I read that there is a hundred trillion dollars of oil left in the ground. One way to slap these greedy yuks is to not buy there poison.