Mitsu Brings Down The EV Entry Bar

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Mitsubishi has announced the 3rd major-OEM plug-in vehicle for the US market ( available in November), and it’s taken the opportunity to bring down the price of entry for (barely) freeway-capable EVs. With 66 HP and 145 lb-ft of torque, the Mitsubishi i will take you to “approximately 80 MPH” for the low, low price of $27,990 before a $7,500 federal tax break. For $29,990, Mitsu will sell you an SE version, with an upgraded interior, premium sound system, and more. At those prices, the Mitsubishi i costs thousands less than the $32,780 base-MSRP Nissan Leaf, the previous budget EV king. But the i is only rated at 85 miles of range per charge based on the same test that said the Leaf would get 100 miles per charge, and the Leaf’s ultimate EPA rating is 73 miles so expect less from the i. But hey, it’s the first pure EV crash-tested by NCAP (it got four stars, thankyouverymuch), and its cheap. You get what you pay for…

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Vww12 Vww12 on Apr 23, 2011

    «and its cheap» It can't be cheap when all taxpayers have to pitch in a $7,000 IRS cash refund to the buyer. It is actually very costly to all of us who do pay income taxes.

  • Carlson Fan Carlson Fan on Apr 23, 2011

    "It can’t be cheap when all taxpayers have to pitch in a $7,000 IRS cash refund to the buyer. It is actually very costly to all of us who do pay income taxes." That's part of living in a democracy. I could complain too about all my income tax dollars going to various programs that don't benefit me directly. How about people without kids. Should they complain about having pay for schools?

  • Demetri Demetri on Apr 23, 2011

    I could definitely see myself buying one of these once I move into the city. I only need something to commute 5 miles or so there and back. I love the simplicity and robustness of the electric drivetrain, and of course, never having to go to a gas station again is huge (and no more oil changes!). For 20 grand? That's fantastic. I'm not sure how exactly the tax break works though. You just get 7500 added to your refund when you file your taxes for that year? The only thing that bothers me is the rubber. 145/65 R15 front and 175/60 R15 rear. Not only different widths, but different profile. What's up with that? Makes me think that they're trying to compensate for some major handling issues. 145s on the front of a 2600lb car? And they're LRRs. I wonder if the EV Fit will be able to get even close to this price.

  • Brandloyalty Brandloyalty on Apr 26, 2011

    If this doesn't make any sense whatsoever, then the hundreds or thousands of businesses that use golf carts and similar vehicles must be very stupid indeed.

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