The basic features of electric vehicle are lower driving-cost or eco-friendly with zero drive-time CO2 emissions. In addition to those, the major feature is better ride comfort than that of the gasoline-powered vehicle. The i-MiEV is a mini-car in terms of the vehicle segmentation standard, but its ride comfort is totally different from gasoline-powered car in the segment. As this may seem an exaggerated expression, you should take the i-MiEV is just like a small luxury car.
Because the i-MiEV is quiet, so you can have normal conversations inside the cabin. It's also comfortable to ride and excellent in acceleration response. In short, the i-MiEV has no cheapness at all, in spite of the mini-car.
This leads to the new value of automobiles, doesn't it? In addition, since the i-MiEV does not emit CO2, in the future, we can also use a garage as another room such as a personal audio or theater room, where an electric vehicle remains parked.
The i-MiEV allows the drive battery to be charged at home, so it is not necessary to go all the way to the gas station, which is another electric vehicle's feature. You can also charge the battery while you are shopping if you use the quick-charge stations provided at the shopping mall. So, I think providing a more number of the quick-charge stations at the shopping malls as a destination spot will become effective in attracting large numbers of customers and then leads to the revitalization of the areas.
The battery has been developed to have an endurable performance against the assumed long-term use of 10 years, so the replacement will be not necessary, in principle. As a result, we can reduce not only running cost but environmental burdens. The frequent replacement of the battery in a short-term period will cause the discarded battery, which will become environmental burdens, but the long-time use of the battery will not.
- Makoto Kataniwa
- Joined Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 2004, who is a member of the marketing team, EV Business Planning Department of i-MiEV Business Office, having been associated with the MiEV since his transfer to the i-MiEV Product Development Project in 2007 after the work in the Environment & Recycling Affairs Dept. and the MiEV Promotion Office.
