Saturday, March 23, 2013

First electric vehicle in Malaysia - Mitsubishi i-MiEV on sale for RM136,118

Eagerly waiting for electric vehicles to be available in Malaysia?

Your wait is over. Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has officially launched the Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle or simply called I-MiEV in the local market on March 21, 2013:

Name                 : Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Price                  : RM136,118 (without insurance), RM139,888 on the road
Weight              : 1,100kg
Battery              : Lithium-ion with 88cells
Charging time  : 8 hours via normal 240V household outlet
Cost to charge  : RM3.50 of electricity to charge 100%
Driving range   : 150km when fully charge
Top speed         : 130 km/h
Dimension        : 475 mm long and 1,475 mm wide
Features: 2-DIN touchscreen multimedia system with GPS, automatic climate control, auto headlights, electric power steering, leather steering wheel

(L-R) Yatabe, Ali, Oda and Larrieu, with two demonstration units of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV last year in Langkawi. The electric car is now available for booking. Photo: The Borneo Post


Mitsubishi i-MiEV can be charged from zero capacity to 100% in 8 hours via a normal 240-volt household outlet.


Although small, the interior actually looks neat and luxurious


Mitsubishi Motors aims to sell over 50 units of new electric vehicle by March 2014
NST, Mar 21,2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) aims to sell more than 50 units of its newly-launched electric vehicle, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle)by March 2014.

The i-MiEV is the first commercialised electric vehicle in Malaysia. Previously, national automaker Proton Holdings Bhd and local Nissan distributor, Edaran Tan Chong Motor, had introduced electric cars for the purpose of pilot testing. MMM Chief Executive Officer Tetsuya Oda said the i-MiEV has been in the global market for over four years, since its launch in Japan in 2009.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the electric car, which comes with a price tag of RM136,118 (without insurance), here today. Oda said to assist potential i-MiEV buyers, MMM is planning to invest more than RM1 million to open four more EV centers nationwide by the end of April next year.

He said the centers would be equipped with a free charging facility for the electric vehicle users.

"We expect to have 60 showrooms in another year, from the current 54, with 31 being 3S Centres and 42 service outlets," he added.

Oda said MMM is currently talking to the principal in Japan to manufacture the lithium-ion battery pack, used by the electric car, here. He said the decision is up to the principal, and it depends more on the sales volume.

"The lithium-ion battery takes up a significant portion of the cost of production of the electric car. If we can manufacture it locally, the price of the car can be brought down significantly," added Oda.

The i-MiEV comes with a free five-year maintenance and five-year warranty (for 100,000 kilometre) packages. With a top speed of 130 kilometre/hour, the four-seater vehicle can run up to 150 kilometres, after charging for eight hours.


TheGreenMechanics' Two cents:

I think the pricing is ridiculous. At about RM140,000 (on the road), not many people can actually afford the i-MiEV, and this is bad news for Electric Vehicles in general. If you're concerned about CO2 emission, you can start with hybrid cars which give you more range.

If you must hug the tree, you may want to hold your horses for a while bit and wait for the next generation Nissan Leaf (all-electric vehicle), due to be launched soon. The Leaf costs £28k in the UK (and who knows how much would that translate in Malaysian market) but it is a much better looking car than the i-MiEV.

Do you notice that the i-MiEV has some resemblance with the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano?

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hola Ir,

The truth kereta buatan Msia mmg semua mahal... *sigh*

Ir sihat? :)

Anonymous said...

For rm136,000 i'll choose Accord or Camry. Gosh, what's wrong with our car pricing!

rainfield61 said...

Price always decides the market.

Greenie said...

You guys should be excited about this green car. Let's do our part for the good of the future generation.
Support the green vehicle.

Adam said...

I wish I had one

tehr said...

aku berkenan juga dengan kereta elektrik ni
tapi harganya masih terlalu mahal bagi aku

Rempit said...

RM136k, mak oi! Bagi RM80k dah lah. Baik ambik Preve je.

Belle Edwin said...

very good to go for a green life.. but NOT a FRIENDLY price...
below 100k mungkin buli consider lg la...