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?

Green car: Mitsubishi to launch i-MiEV in Malaysia this year

Aimed at environmentally-aware people and companies, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) plans to launch its first fully electric car in Malaysia, the i-Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle (i-MiEV), by the end of this year. The company is now in the final stages of market research to determine the vehicle pricing for Malaysia.


i-MiEV used in a pilot trial in Langkawi earlier this year. Image: cbt.com.my


Unlike hybrid vehicle such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, the i-MiEV is a fully electric car. Mitsubishi Motor Malaysia is targeting sales of 50 units in the early stages.

Since its debut in Japan, the i-MiEV has attracted a lot of attention worldwide, following its introduction in European markets at the end of 2010 and launch in North America at the end of last year.


Brief specifications of the i-MiEV

Model: Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Power: 49 kW (66 BHP)
Torque: 180 Nm, instant.
Top speed: 130 km/h
Travelled distance: 160 km per full charge
Charging time: 8 hours to fully charge
Charger: 230V, regular home socket

Guide price:
Japan pricing for the G and M model - 2.84mil yen and 1.88mil yen (RM108,381 and RM71,745) respectively. Prices after the government subsidy. So, we have some idea of what kind of price range we are expecting for the Malaysia market.


Subsidy for electric vehicles in Japan

In Japan, the government subsidises 50% (and up to 1 million yen) of the price difference between the electric vehicle and a similar class petrol model.

Example:
Petrol car price: RM80,000
i-MiEV price: RM92,000
Price difference = RM12,000 and 50% subsidy is RM6,000
Thus, subsidised price = RM92,000 - RM6,000
= RM86,000

Of course, this scenario is only in Japan. Similar or better subsidy plan in Malaysia is welcomed!


TheGreenMechanics:
Malaysians should be given the opportunity to purchase their own electric vehicle and make the choice for a greener future. Special tax incentive that is more favorable to the general masses should be formulated to encourage the use of such vehicles. As far as we know, presently tax incentives are available only for hybrid vehicles.

Go green!

Data in this article were sourced from Bernama.

The New Pajero Sport

I visited a car road show by EON Automart a couple of weeks ago at Karamunsing Complex lobby. 

On show were a number of Mitsubishi vehicles including the newly launched Pajero Sport. It so happened that I brought along my PnS camera, so, I asked permission from the Sales Consultants and began firing away. The followings are for a treat.

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Sold at RM163,690 for Kota Kinabalu registration, I was made to understand that the Pajero Sport is aimed at rivaling the Fortuner. I chatted with few SCs and they were so engrossed with pitting the Pajero Sport with the so-called overpriced Toyota Fortuner. So, I did some searchings and compared the vital stats here:

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My observation would purely be based on personal opinion, myself being just another car driver whose choice of ride is just as ordinary as other consumers out there. That I am not a car expert or a car mechanic.

Firstly, this Pajero does not resemble the older version of the full-sized Pajero, or a refinement of the later to say the least. It looks more like a combination of the Triton and the Challenger.

Secondly, the term Sport should imply a little bit of sportiness in the build of the SUV such as the Fortuner Sportivo, Sorento Novus and the face-lifted Rexton. If you are expecting a sporty SUV in the new Pajero then expect to be a little bit disappointed. 

Personally I would like to see a different front grille on the Pajero instead of a familiar looking adaptation from the Triton. A little bit of skirting and spoiler would be more appealing. As it is now, the new SUV looks plain and empty, apart from the awkward choice of side step. A refined Challenger would be more sporty.

Value for money? My answer is yes, if you compare it with the Fortuner solely. Some of its plus points are the combination leather seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, better audio system, keyless entry system, chromed-plated door handle and side mirror. And most importantly it is automatic transmission for ease of driving experience for the urbanites. Compare it with Santa Fe and it may have serious competition in value-for-money.

I was hoping for something different from Mitsubishi and I was sorely disappointed at how they emulate Toyota in producing the Pajero Sport. Just look at how Toyota practically modified the Hilux into Fortuner and you’ll understand the similar case of Mitsubishi’s Triton-turn-Pajero job.

Will I buy it? Have it been available when I bought my current SUV a couple of years back, perhaps I’d have seriously considered it, together with Hyundai’s Santa Fe. It would be a serious contender and rival to the Fortuner if it’s priced at around RM150k.

Overview of the Pajero Sport.

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Stylish tail lamp and nice chrome-plated side mirror.

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Minimalist’s dashboard?

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Familiar looking grille

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I would add a spoiler if it was up to me.

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Folding second row seat and the combination leather trimming

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My favourite – the 17” alloy wheel. A bit expensive but it adds to the car sportiness.

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BTW, one of the friendly Sales Consultants I was chatting with at the exhibition was Mr Nazly, or call him Naz. Their office (EON Auto Mart) is in Tg Aru Plaza and you can reach them at 088-255150 or Naz himself at 016-8139381.

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You can read further by visiting their website, http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/
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