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Singapore tests self-driving cars you use like taxis
One of the greatest allures of self-driving cars is the prospect of never needing your own vehicle -- you could just catch robotic rides whenever you want personal transportation. Well, Singapore is about to explore how well that concept works in practice. The city (with MIT's help) is opening up one of its neighborhoods to autonomous cars next year to see how well they could eliminate traffic congestion. Ideally, you'll use these driverless vehicles like short-range taxis or Uber cars: hail one whenever you need to get to the airport or train station and keep another privately-owned car off the road. That's particularly helpful in Singapore, where the extreme population density (19,725 people per square mile) has led to strong government incentives for using mass transit.
Mitsubishi unveils electric Minicab MiEV at CEATEC
To complement Mitsubishi's existing electric minivan and car, the Minicab MiEV has parked itself here at CEATEC, Chiba, adding a Gasoline-avoiding pick-up truck to the family. Capable of reaching distances up to 110km on a single charge, with the option of a portable battery, the vehicle is set to roll in Japanese stores some time next year.
Toshiba SCiB to be used in Mitsubishi i-MiEV, recharge to 80 percent in just 15 minutes
Toshiba's SCiB (Super Charge Ion Battery) technology has long been the source of great hope and anticipation in electronics circles, but it's never quite delivered the world-changing retail products that its marketing promised. Hoping to correct that in a big way, the company's now hooked up with Mitsubishi to distribute said fast-charging cells in the taxman-friendly i-MiEV (to be known as Mitsubishi i in the US) and its taxi variant, the MINICAB-MiEV. How fast-charging, you ask? We're told recharging will be done in 15 minutes for 80 percent, 10 minutes for 50 percent, and a mere 300 seconds for 25 percent. You'll need a CHAdeMO charger to achieve such rapid revitalization rates, but those stations are sprouting up across the US now. There are other favorable qualities to Toshiba's batteries, including "excellent charging and output" under very low temperatures, 2.5 times the number of charge / discharge cycles of regular lithium ion cells, and safer operation than most other alternatives. Check out the full PR after the break.
Sharp's Intelligent Power Conditioner works with EVs to make your house a lean, mean, solar-powered machine
So, you've got your government-issued solar panels and you bought a plug-in EV, but being both a budget-minded and green-conscious geek, you're concerned that your home's power generation and consumption isn't exactly optimal. Put your worries aside, because Sharp has created the Intelligent Power Conditioner (IPC) to max out the electrical efficiency of your abode while working in conjunction with public utilities. It operates by temporarily storing the unused solar-generated juice from the daytime -- using both the system's batteries and the cells in your shiny new EV -- to deliver a steady stream of electrons at night. In tests with a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the system was able to use the EV to supply 8kW of power to a home, and doled out enough electricity (4kWh) to recharge the car in a scant 30 minutes. The IPC is still in the development phase, but Sharp is looking to make it commercially available "in the near future" -- which means the finishing touches on your ultimate eco-house will have to wait.
Mitsubishi launching eight electrified vehicles by 2015
Mitsu's i MiEV may be getting off to a slow start, but it's just the beginning. The company has announced a number of programs collectively titled "Environment Initiative Program 2015," a sort of stepping stone toward a broader reaching "Environmental Vision 2020." That Vision indicates a desire to have 20 percent of Mitsubishi sales be either pure electric vehicles or at least plug-in hybrids. The 2015 initiative sets a more modest goal of five percent, and to get there the company will launch a whopping eight electro-augmented vehicles between now and 2015. It starts with a commercialized MiEV this year, moving to two PHEVs next year, a new EV in 2013, and then another new EV in 2014 -- hopefully with names that roll off the tongue a little better than "i MiEV." Might we suggest the 2014 Mitsubishi Mitueevee?
ADAC crash tests first production Mitsubishi i-MiEV, it makes a mess but scores well
Looks like Volvo's C30 Electric isn't the only EV paying a heavy price for wanting to be run on the roads. Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, one of the first modern full-bore electric autos to be promised to hit US shores (but certainly not the first to make it), has just been subjected to crash testing by the ADAC, Europe's largest motorist club. The car went through both 40mph frontal and rear offset impacts, similar to the sort used by our own humble NHTSA. The car didn't score perfect marks, with some deformation in the footwell, but there were no major problems noted and, most importantly, the electrical systems safety cut automatically upon impact. This means no surprise electrocutions for anyone on the inside or out, which is a good thing -- unless you're a mutant lizard who enjoys such things. Update: We've updated the source link to the ADAC site, where you can see some additional images and even video of the crash. You'll need to exit the Google Translation window to view them, though.
Mitsubishi i MiEV electric car launches in Costa Rica next month for a mere $61,500
Did you miss out on the Nissan Leaf pre-orders? Yeah, us too. Are you planning on cruising around in Costa Rica sometime after February? Sadly you can count us out there, but if you've checked both boxes you might want be interested to know that Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car will be available there starting next month, making it the first country in this hemisphere to sell them. The car offers a 100 mile maximum range and a top speed of 80, quite comparable to the Leaf, but the $61,500 price down there almost doubles Nissan's offering up here. That's also twice what the i MiEV is expected to sell for when it ships to the mainland this fall, quite possibly thanks to the massive import duties applied to cars in the land of Pura Vida. But, with as few as 25 of the machines offered for sale, this is something of a niche release anyhow.
British government confirms nine EVs eligible for £5,000 rebates, but there are really only six
Buy an electric vehicle in the US, like the Nissan Leaf, and you can expect to get a nice boost to your tax refund: a $7,500 federal subsidy. Now the UK is getting in on the cash back game, with a programme program starting on January 1st to offer a 25 percent discount on EVs purchased -- up to a maximum of £5,000. Nine cars have been declared eligible for this decidedly choice bonus: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Peugeot iOn Citroen C-Zero Smart fourtwo electric drive Nissan Leaf Tata Vista Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vauxhall Ampera Chevrolet Volt Sure, the first three and the last two cars are effectively the same models, just with different bits of chrome stuck on the front, but a little badge engineering never hurt anybody.
Mitsubishi i is the new name of the i MiEV for American market, coming next fall for $30,000
Mitsubishi promised it'd bring the i MiEV over to the US before 2012 and now it's rehashed that pledge with a slightly more detailed roadmap and an indicative price point to boot. Maurice Durand, the company's communications manager for North America, is quoted as saying the newly renamed i will cost "around $30,000" when it launches, which is expected to happen in fall 2011. Sales expectations are a very modest 20,000 units by 2015, but apparently the idea is for Mitsu to just get its foot in the US electric vehicle market before introducing more powerful and versatile people carriers. The i is pitched as primarily a commuter's vehicle, though it has been enlarged slightly to accommodate US safety regulations and "larger frame people." Be honest, Maurice, you mean larger waistline, not frame.
The state of the electric automobile, in pictures
You've heard the announcements. You know the specs. You may even be able to guess how the showdown will play out. But unless you were in San Jose, California, this week for Plug-In 2010, you've probably never seen six contenders for our future electric vehicle dollars all in one room. We hopped in our late-80s gas guzzler and hit the show floor in your stead, snapping enough pictures of the Leaf, Volt, Focus, Prius PHEV, fortwo Electric Drive, and the i MiEV to give you a virtual tour. See what we saw after the break.
Mitsubish i MiEV gets a job as an oil-scented taxi in Tokyo
Good to see the i MiEV is adding to its résumé -- which already includes the job of ferrying Geek Squaddies about the place -- with a new position as a specialist taxi service in select districts of Tokyo. Launched yesterday, this new Zero Taxi initiative aims to attract customers with its zero emissions (from the car, the electricity used might still be produced in a polluting way) appeal, aromatic oil-scented cabin, and primarily female drivers who'll be trained to provide local area and tourist info. We're just reporting here, don't blame us for the Hinomaru Limousine Company's belief that a man can't be as good a tour guide as a woman. It's a humble beginning since the company's only deploying two i MiEVs for now, but local competitor Nihon Kotsu is also preparing to join the fray, and is currently testing out a Better Place battery-swapping station that should keep its cars where they need to be -- on the road.
Some Geek Squads to start driving plug-in Mitsubishi i-MiEVs
With the amount of use Chuck gets out of his "Nerd Herd" mobile, plus our own anecdotal sightings of Geek Squad vehicles around town (see what we did there? Science), we'd say that they're ripe for EV replacements, and what better than the hard-to-pronounce i-MiEV from Mitsubishi to do the job? As announced at the LA Auto Show on Thursday, a few Best Buy Geek Squad locations in California are getting access to the cars in January, with minimal fleets that will expand to the other stores over a few years. For now it's going to be an experiment, and primarily urban, but we like where this is headed. As in, "not to our house, because we're perfectly adept at setting up a wireless network, thanks."
Clarion MiND MID handles infotainment duties in i MiEV electric car
We've no idea if this is Intel's unwanted future for the seemingly unwanted Mobile Internet Device, but only a few months after seeing Clarion's frequently discounted MiND popping up in Nissan's Cube, the very same MID has now found a seat within Mitsubishi's famously adorable i MiEV. Here at CEATEC, the Intel-branded whip was proudly shown with a MiND-based infotainment system, and while we can't promise that any of these zero-emission vehicles will ever hit dealerships with an Intel Inside sticker just beneath the VIN number, we can say that it wouldn't surprise us in the least. The MID seems to be a solid fit for a GPS / multimedia system within a cute, commuter-centric car such as this, and being that it's removable, the fun doesn't have to stop when the drive does. Has the MID finally found its calling, or is the search to be loved still on?%Gallery-74739%
Mitsubishi's i-MiEV electric vehicle officially headed to the US
It isn't exactly providing a whole lot of details just yet, but Mitsubishi has confirmed at the New York Auto Show today that its i-MiEV electric vehicle will indeed be making its way to the U.S., and sometime "before 2012." Interestingly, according to AutoblogGreen, that delay apparently isn't due to any hang-ups with the vehicle itself (it's hitting roads in Japan this summer), but rather whether battery-maker GS Yuasa can scrounge up enough lithium-ion batteries to keep up with demand. It also looks like the car that eventually hits the U.S. won't be exactly the same as the model bound for Japan and Europe, with the i-MiEV name likely the first thing to go. Of course, there's no official word on a U.S. price just yet, but the car, which boasts a range of around 100 miles on a single charge, should be selling for the rough local equivalent of $30,000 when it hits Europe and Japan.
Zero-emission i MiEV begins testing in New Zealand
Slowly but surely, the i MiEV is making its way out to test fields around the globe. Just months after a smattering of the zero-emission vehicles hit the west coast of America, we're now being told that a new crew of guinea pigs have waltzed into New Zealand. Over a hundred government representatives and key stakeholders were invited to drive Mitsubishi Motors' oddest, greenest vehicle, and of course, to talk business about how this bean could fit into the nation's transportation system. As it stands, Mitsu is still looking to launch the vehicle for consumer use this summer in Japan, though no word was mentioned on when it would arrive Down Under, across the pond or on US soil.
Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car makes it to the States, but not to you
If you've been keeping an eye on the i MiEV, the word from the street (or, in this case, Wired) is that four of the cartoonish vehicles are on their way to SoCal Edison, where their Electric Vehicle Technical Center will put 'em through their paces, testing not only the vehicles themselves but how they interact with the grid. Not that the car will be selling Stateside any time soon -- until it bulks up enough to pass federal side-impact tests and its range is extended beyond the current 70 miles, it looks like the vehicle will be a no-show at the dealerships. Apparently the vehicle sports a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery and optional regenerative braking mode, and the 47 kW (roughly 64 horsepower) motor shouldn't have any trouble keeping up with city traffic. But on the other hand, the car doesn't fly through the air, play VCDs or impress the ladies -- so what's the big deal, then?
Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car to be tested in California
Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car has spent some serious time on the streets of Japan, but before long, the fuel-shunning vehicle will be roughin' it here in the US of A. The auto maker is teaming up with Southern California Edison and PG&E in order to see how it fares in LA traffic and how to best integrate it with the power grid. As of now, the whips should be cruising down the carpool lanes in Q4, though a few modifications may be needed in order to comply with US laws. Plans are to test the i MiEV for three solid years, and hopefully the $30,000 ride will be made available for purchase shortly thereafter (or earlier, if we're fortunate). What now, MINI?[Via Wired]
Mitsubishi shows off sporty all electric i-MiEV car, Tesla puts up its dukes
Granted, we'll still give the Tesla Roadster the upper hand in terms of sheer sexiness, but Mitsubishi is hoping to attract any wandering eyes by unveiling a sporty new all electric whip of its very own. Shown recently at the Tokyo Motor Show, the compact i-MiEV will reportedly be powered by a pack of Li-ions that can enable drivers to scoot about 100 miles before needing a recharge. After it's out of juice, it'll take around 7-hours at 200V or 14-hours at 100V to charge it back up. Most notable about this ride, however, is the proposed release date: 2009. This figure was recently moved up a year from the original 2010 projection, but unfortunately, no details surrounding a price or specific launch markets have been disclosed. Be sure and hit the via link for a bevy of photos.[Via Autoblog]
