The electric car market is about to get a few new players in the near future, namely the Mitsubishi i (formerly known as the i-MiEV) and the Focus Electric, effectively doubling the mass-produced offerings available in the U.S. in 2012.
The former vehicle is making the rounds in the news for the second time this week, this time for the announcement of the official miles per gallon equivalency ratings, or MPGe, which put Mitsubishi at the top of the EV mountain for now.
The i’s city rating came in at an impressive 126 MPGe, with a rating of 99 MPGe on the highway. These ratings best the Chevrolet Volt’s 95 city, 90 highway, as well as the Nissan Leaf’s 106 city, 92 highway ratings.
While Mitsubishi isn’t being shy about claiming a small victory and proclaiming their EV powertrain to be the most efficient, it should certainly be remembered that the i is an entire class-size smaller than the Volt or Leaf, considered compact vehicles, while the i is rated as a subcompact vehicle.
In addition to interior size deficiencies, the Mitsubishi i also trails the Nissan Leaf by 11 miles of projected total range, offering just 62 miles on a single charge. Of course, the Chevy Volt trumps them both with total range in the hundreds of miles thanks to an on-board range-extending gasoline engine, but it only manages the first 35 miles on pure electricity.
But of course the Mitsubishi i also undercuts the competition on price by about $5,000 compared to the Lead and $13,000 less than the Volt – a sizable difference that may play into the Japanese automaker’s favor. With a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $27,990 for the base ES model before a federal tax credit of $7,500, the Mitsubishi i will be the least expensive mass-produced electric vehicle available in the United States.
Interested? Mitsubishi is taking preorders now with the first deliveries planned for early 2012.
