Highlights of the New York Auto Show: Mitsubishi i MIEV Sport
Smart4-2 move over…
There’s a new tinker-toy car in town and it is called the i MiEV Sport….
Mitsubishi has been “tinkering†with the idea of an electric car for nearly forty years now and this is the end result of all of those years of careful planning and thought.
The i MiEV Sport is actually somewhat more of an electric car, it is actually a mini solar wind-power station. To keep its lithium ion battery charged, the i MiEV relies on solar calls mounted in the roof, along with an electricity generating fan tucked within its front grill.
With this little nudge of extra power from mother nature, the i MiEV is said to have the capacity of 120 miles per full charge which isn’t too bad. But what is even cooler than that is the method of electricity transmission.
Imagine pulling up to a power station on a cold winter afternoon and only have to press a button to recharge. There is no plugs needed for the new i MiEV, as it charges itself wirelessly through the use of a microwave system… and we all thought three minute bagged popcorn was the best microwave energy could do.
A few other hit features of the i MiEV, is not only a heavy duty bio-filter and in-cabin deodorizer, but this little wonder also generates oxygen and aroma therapy for its passengers. As cool as this feature may sound, you all know what this would probably mean… one more thing that will need to be replaced on a regular basis!
The vehicles electric system will also be user friendly via a LAN port that will allow an owner to update navigation information and collect various diagnostic and maintenance information all with a simple home computer.
And unlike the rather noisy interior (engine and transmission) of the Smart 4-2, the i MiEV has been aerodynamically designed and sound proofed to leave very little of the road to transfer to the cockpit during a drive on the average road.
To keep the weight down the Mitsubishi used space technology. A very strong, yet lightweight aluminum alloy, which can be found almost everywhere on the car, including parts of the suspension.
Performance wise, you should be looking at a not-too-shabby pickup using its twin 20 Kilowatt motors built into each front wheel and a 47 Kilowatt rear motor. The entire drivetrain will offer super all-wheel-drive and stability control. High output versions of this electric motor on the Lancer Evolution i have shown 270 horsepower possibilities and 0-60 times of around 8 seconds!
