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Mitsubishi Motors Starts Taking Orders for Electric Vehicles MINICAB-MiEV

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation began taking orders at MMC’s dealerships throughout Japan for the MINICAB-MiEV commercial mini EV with lithium ion batteries that is planned to go on sale toward the end of the year.

Derived from the MINICAB VAN commercial mini vehicle, MINICAB-MiEV follows the electric car i-MiEV as the company’s second new-generation EV with lithium ion batteries. MINICAB-MiEV is being developed to make maximum use of the technologies and knowhow gained from the development of i-MiEV in delivering the practical utility and driving performance demanded of a commercial vehicle.

Reliability, durability and cost performance are also priority areas. The vehicle started a fleet testing program with Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. in October 2010 designed to verify its practical utility. MINICAB-MiEV is planned to be offered with a choice of two lithium ion batteries sizes to meet different customer needs.

With government incentives, trial calculations indicate that MINICAB-MiEV will come with a customer’s net price from around 1,700,000 yen and from around 2,050,000 yen for the 10.5 kWh and the 16.0 kWh battery versions respectively. The calculations are premised on Japanese government’s eco-car incentive program continuing in the 2011 fiscal year and unchanged in detail from fiscal 2010. As with the i-MiEV, MINICAB-MiEV will be sold on both a maintenance lease *2 and a cash basis.

Lithium ion batteries: 10.5 kWh (giving a range of around 100 km/charge under JC08 mode conditions) and 16.0 kWh (range of around 150km) or a lease in which the monthly payments include some of the taxes, insurance and maintenance costs.

www.mitsubishi-motors.com/