Mitsubishi i-Miev
Many people have heard about the all-electric Chevy Volt that is set to be released in 2010. At least, I had heard about it, but nothing about other electric cars by major dealers. Now, Mistubishi is planning to produce 1,400 i-Mievs for corporate and government lease. The i-Mievs will be released in Japan, will go for around $45,300, and they qualify for a $14,300 government tax credit.
According to CNet’s CarTech blog, “The i-Miev uses a lithium ion battery pack and a 47-kilowatt electric motor to get a range of 100 miles. Recharging the batteries from a quick charger takes 30 minutes, while recharging from a 200 volt outlet takes seven hours. Regenerative brakes help recharge the battery pack during driving.”
Mitsubishi has plans to release the i-Miev in late July, at about the same time Subaru is planning to release its tiny all-electric Stella. In comparison with the i-Miev, Stella also uses a 47-kW electric motor, has a top speed of 62 mph, a range of 56 miles, and charges in 15 minutes at a quick-charge station.
I’m hoping the new interest in electric cars will generate a good amount of competition among major dealers. There’s a huge market here waiting for a good, practical replacement for my fuel-guzzling vehicle. Not only do I hope for the production of a really good electric car, but I’m also hoping to see the proliferation of quick-charging stations. Having reliable electric cars available combined with public interest and purchase will allow the infrastructure for an electric car market to develop on its own. I’m curious as to what motivated these companies to start investing in electric cars. How can we motivate companies in the future to produce products good for the public and the environment?
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i like the idea of bringing back an electric car, although the stats for these cars are kind of depressing. even with a government rebate, $31K is pricey and the distance you can go from each charge seems too low. also, top speeds in the 60mph range just don’t cut it! that said – it’s a great first step, and i bet that competition between these companies will lead to better models.
so how can we motivate companies to make these cars? i believe all business is profit driven, so the only way to get an ethical product is if the companies can see a demand for these products from consumers, and a financial benefit to them from making them. i think infrastructure is a major hurdle blocking their profit, specifically building abundant charging stations to make using the car worthwhile to the public. one approach could be a collaborative effort by many interested parties – a company to build the cars, a company to build the stations, a company to distribute information to the public, a company to keep doing research to improve the technology, a government agency to coordinate policy to expedite the process through law. it seems to me if enough people have a financial stake in the transportation of the future, there should be motivation from all sides to push the electric car forward and to lower the cost to each company.
there’s a documentary i’ve been interested in called “Who killed the electric car?”. we should watch it!
yes, that’s true. Ideally, i’d like to say business exists for the people – to provide a product or service. But that’s a little naive – the safest definition is to say business exists to make a profit. So if we want to create a new market for something environmentally friendly, there are a few hurdles, like you said. 1) will it make profit, 2) infrastructure, 3) consumer interest, 4) investment/finance (capital necessary vs. profit needs to be in favor of business)
It’s evident at this point, if creating a new market requires so many different businesses working together, that this effort will need a good amount of leadership. Someone will have to be a liaison between car manufacturers, battery researchers/suppliers, investors, charging stations, and consumers. Unless we want to trust these individual operations to naturally communicate with each other. Or we can establish some sort of communications agency that looks at the big picture – for example it identifies an emerging market, or one that needs to be established (a need justified by science or depleting natural resources, etc.). And then goes to form liaisons between the various institutions that will need to be involved.
Or, give consumers a more powerful voice in the market, since they are the ones using the product or service provided.
Also, in response to the stats – 60mph range is not ideal, but at least you can make it onto the freeway, just stick to the right lane. =P These current models are only really good for commuting around town – but the 100 mile range is decent – much better than a 60 mile range, for example. I probably drive 10 miles every day if I’m driving to work, so if I was rich I could benefit from an electric car. But I’m not rich so it’s impractical for me. But I think the electric car has come a long way, so I think that having a lot more of these models out is a good sign for the future. Hopefully!
And yes, we should watch “Who Killed the Electric Car?” so we can spot campaigns by industry to kill products with social and environmental goodwill. And find ways to stop those campaigns. =P Always on a mission