Mitsubishi Electric car i-MiEV nominated for Green Car Vision award

MiEV, the electric car from the Mitsubishi Motors stables, has been picked by the Green Car Journal as one of five nominees for its 2009 Green Car Vision award.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has been picked as one of the nominees for its design and execution which are termed as best suited to meet the urban transportation needs of a rapidly changing world. Powered by a state-of-the-art, 330-volt lithium-ion battery to power a 47 kW permanent-magnet motor, the i-MiEV comes with a compact, lightweight battery placed under the floor.

Industry reports said that the small size of the battery in fact helps in maximizing the four-passenger cabin. The winner of the prestigious award will be announced February 3 at the Washington Auto Show. The Green car Journal would be looking at cars that would offer superlative environmental performance.

The magazine thinks that better eco standards are a must when it comes to meeting present day challenges of oil dependence and growing environmental impacts.

Mitsubishi has been fleet-testing the MiEV in Japan for the past two years. The car is at the moment being fleet tested in the US too. Mitsubishi plans to take the car to dealerships in Japan this summer. The i-MiEV is a zero-emissions vehicle, which is said to be easy on the wallet. According to automotive writers, the cost per kilometer to drive the Mitsubishi MiEV would be one third that of a comparable gasoline vehicle. Depending on the cost of electricity, cost per kilometer can drop as low as one ninth that of gasoline, for example when charged during off-peak or night-time hours.

Mitsubishi has said that strong acceleration can be achieved through a compact and highly efficient permanent magnet synchronous motor that generates high torque from a low speed. Further, as the i-MiEV uses an electric motor free of the vertical vibration associated with gasoline engines, it runs extremely quiet. Using the on-board charger, the vehicle can be charged with a 100V or 200V power source in the home, it said.