MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) or MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) "Interview_With_Managing_Director_in_Charge_of_Product_Development_and_Environment_Affairs_Group_Headquarters,_Tetsuro_Aikawa
".html" ;"title="Tetsuro Aikawa">"Interview With Managing Director in Charge of Product Development and Environment Affairs Group Headquarters, Tetsuro Aikawa
"">Tetsuro Aikawa">"Interview With Managing Director in Charge of Product Development and Environment Affairs Group Headquarters, Tetsuro Aikawa
", Mitsubishi Motors internally conducted interview, February 2005 is the name given by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) to its alternative propulsion technologies."Mitsubishi Motors builds new research EV, "i MiEV" for joint research with power companies"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, October 11, 2006 From late 2006, “MiEV” encompasses all of Mitsubishi Motors’s electric drive systems work, including lithium-ion batteries, in-wheel motors and other technologies related to electric vehicle (EV), hybrid-electric vehicle and fuel-cell vehicles. The Mitsubishi In-wheel motor was first introduced in the Mitsubishi Colt EV, a Colt-based

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

first exhibited at 2005

Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show ...

which used a series of

lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

to power electric motors located in the wheels."Mitsubishi Motors to drive forward development of next-generation EVs"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, May 11, 2005 Subsequent electrically powered vehicles have included a 200 kW Lancer Evolution,"Mitsubishi Motors to enter Lancer Evolution MIEV in Shikoku EV Rally 2005"
Mitsubishi Motors press release, August 24, 2005 and a battery-equipped Mitsubishi i

kei car Kei car (or , kanji: , "light automobile", ), known variously outside Japan as Japanese city car or Japanese microcar, is the Japanese vehicle category for the smallest highway-legal passenger cars with restricted dimensions and engine capaci ...

(i-MIEV). "Plugging into electric dreams"
, Kevin Hepwork, ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', September 28, 2007 The i-MiEV was launched for fleet customers in Japan in July 2009, and on April 1, 2010 sales to the public began in the Japanese market at a price of 4 million yen
(~USD43,000). >\ After government incentives the sale price drops to 2.8 million yen (~USD30,500). Sales in other countries are expected to begin in October 2010. Sales in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

and the U.K. are scheduled to begin in January 2011.

History

Before developing the first MIEV concept, Mitsubishi built several

electric vehicles An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes ch ...

in the 1990s as they attempted to develop alternative propulsion systems. Development began in the 1970s, and 36 Libero EVs were sold between 1993 and 1996."Electric Vehicle"
, Technical review, Mitsubishi-Motors.com Their FTO EV broke the record for the furthest distance achieved by an electric vehicle in 24 hours when it covered 2,142.3 km on December 19–20, 1999,"MMC to display futuristic products at Exhibition of Dream Technologies for the 21st Century"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, July 12, 2000
Mitsubishi Motors news release, December 20, 1999 and following this success they entered an Eclipse EV in the annual Shikoku EV Rally in 2001, completing over 400 km on a single charge.

Technology

MIEV motors are constructed using an in-wheel motor rotor, an in-wheel motor

stator The stator is the stationary part of a rotary system, found in electric generators, electric motors, sirens, mud motors or biological rotors. Energy flows through a stator to or from the rotating component of the system. In an electric m ...

, a rotor bracket, stator bracket and inverter directly behind the brakes. The batteries can be charged from a standard 15 A/200 V car charger in seven hours and with a

three-phase electric power Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3φ) is a common type of alternating current used in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system employing three wires (or four including an optional neutral ...

charged in 25 minutes (for up to 80 percent of full capacity). The batteries are located under the floorpan and in the Colt uses 22

Li-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

modules to produce a cumulative 325 V. The design allows for an entirely electric vehicle, or a hybrid using the batteries to supplement a traditional

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal co ...

or a

hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-to ...

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...

."Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle - A next-generation EV"
, Technical review, Mitsubishi-Motors.com

Benefits

According to Mitsubishi, locating the motor behind the wheel offers the company three distinct advantages: # It allows for a

four wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

system without need of

transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission ** ...

driveshaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connec ...

s, differential gears or other complex mechanical components. Mitsubishi Motors has been one of the few companies to persist in offering 4WD on vehicles other than

off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with de ...

s since the technology's heyday in the 1980s.4-Wheel Drive
, Mitsubishi Motors website
, Neil McDonald, ''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

'', February 7, 2003 # Placing the drive system entirely in the wheels allows for greater freedom of

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

for interior stylists. # The space created facilitates the storage of the

batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

, allowing for extra modules to be fitted which would offer increased power and range compared to previous electric vehicles.

Vehicles

Mitsubishi Colt EV (2005)

Based on the platform of a

Mitsubishi Colt The Mitsubishi Colt is a nameplate from Mitsubishi Motors that has been applied to a number of automobiles since 1962. It was first introduced with a series of kei and subcompact cars in the 1960s, and then for the export version of the subcompa ...

, and first exhibited in 2005, it was the first Mitsubishi EV where mass production and public sales were mooted, with a suggested price tag of US$19,000."Mitsubishi unveils electric car for 2010"
NBC News, May 11, 2005 The car was driven by two in-wheel motors located in the rear wheels each producing a power of and of torque without the need for a transmission. This gave the car a top speed of and an estimated range of with a 13 kWh battery pack.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MIEV (2005)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official version ...

sedan fitted with four motors took part in the 2005 Shikoku EV Rally. The Lancer MIEV is capable of , and has a range of .

Mitsubishi Concept-CT MIEV (2006)

The first MIEV prototype based on the platform and " rear midship" layout of the Mitsubishi i

, the Concept-CT is a

sport compact Sport compact is an American car classification for a high-performance version of an affordable compact car or a subcompact car. There is no precise definition and the description is applied for marketing purposes to a wide variety of models. ...

prototype, and was first exhibited at the 2006 North American International Auto Show."Mitsubishi Motors Lineup at 2006 North American International Auto Show"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, January 10, 2006

Mitsubishi Concept-EZ MIEV (2006)

The Concept-EZ is a compact mono-box prototype exhibited at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, and designed to showcase the benefits of MIEV technology on the car's interior design. The wheels are located as close to the corners of the vehicle as possible, and each houses a outer rotor in-wheel motor. With no central powertrain the floor could be kept low and flat to liberate extra interior space, despite the vehicle's height of ."Mitsubishi Motors to display Mitsubishi Concept-EZ MIEV concept and new Colt CZC coupe-cabriolet models at 2006 Geneva Motor Show"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, January 30, 2006

Mitsubishi i MiEV (2006)

Also based on the Mitsubishi i ''kei car'', it was first exhibited at the 22nd International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition in

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

. This vehicle was the first where the "i" in MiEV stood for "innovative", as it eschews the in-wheel motors in favour of a more conventional array of batteries, motor and inverter to replace the " rear midship" engine and fuel tank of the conventional car. Development of the i MiEV EV concept began in 2005. MMC provided three power companies with vehicles in 2006 and 2007 in order to conduct joint research to evaluate how fast-charge infrastructure may be developed for EVs. Fleet testing by five power companies was conducted in 2007. The car has a range of for the 16

kW·h A kilowatt-hour ( unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour. In terms of SI derived units with special names, it equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ). Kilowatt-hours are a common bi ...

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also ...

pack and for the 20 kW·h pack. Top speed is . Also known as the i-EV,"Mitsubishi Motors lineup at 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, August 29, 2007Mitsubishi Motors / Future Models
, Mitsubishi Motors UK website it is planned for sale or lease in Japan and other markets in 2009 and 2010 It may also be sold in European markets as the

Peugeot iOn The Mitsubishi i-MiEV (MiEV is an acronym for ''Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle'') is a five-door hatchback electric car produced in the 2010s by Mitsubishi Motors, and is the electric version of the Mitsubishi i. Rebadged variants of t ...

and Citroën C-ZERO. (in the European Union in 2010-08-01).

Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport (2007)

The third concept i Miev based on the platform of the Mitsubishi i, and exhibited at the 40th

in late 2007. In-wheel motors made a return in the front wheels, while a single motor powers the rears. Designed to showcase the sporting potential of zero-emissions vehicles, the i's space efficient exterior design was heavily modified into a more

aerodynamic Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...

2+2 Two Two (투투) was a Korean pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, ...

fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style. Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...

silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...

. The company's Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system developed for the new

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is the tenth and final generation of the Lancer Evolution, a sports sedan produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors. By September 2005, Mitsubishi introduced a concept version of the next-gen Evolution ...

was also utilized."Mitsubishi Motors lineup at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show"
, Mitsubishi Motors press release, September 7, 2007

Production version of Mitsubishi i MiEV (2009)

The production version of the MiEV does not have in-wheel motors like the many MIEV concepts shown before. Instead it has a single permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on the rear

axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, beari ...

with a power output of and torque output of . Due to the motor specification with low torque and hence for direct-drive high RPM to give the stated power, Mitsubishi also had to put a

between the motor and wheels. The car has a stated range of for the Japan 10-15 mode drive cycle with a 16

kWh A kilowatt-hour (unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour. In terms of SI derived units with special names, it equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ). Kilowatt-hours are a common bill ...

battery pack. The car's top speed is limited to ."About i MiEV MITSUBISHI MOTORS JAPAN"
, Mitsubishi Motors, August 4, 2009 During early 2009 the i MiEV was exhibited in Australia at the Melbourne Motor Show, following which it extensively toured Australia. During January - March 2009 the i MiEV was brought to New Zealand as part of an electric vehicle trial, which saw the i MiEV travel the length of the country testing infrastructure and demonstrating the vehicle to the public."Mitsubishi and Meridian launch electric car trial"
, Mitsubishi Motors NZ press release, February 10, 2009 On 21 September 2009, the Hong Kong Government announced it will procure the first batch of 10 Mitsubishi electric vehicles - the iMiEV - later in 2009, after various government departments have tested the vehicle in the last 6 months. Hong Kong is the first market in Asia, other than Japan, where iMiEVs will be sold before April 2010. On January 14, 2009, In Canada, Hydro-Québec and Mitsubishi signed an agreement to test 50 i-MiEV, the largest pilot test of electric car in Canada, this test will also allow a better understanding of a winter usage of the technology. BC-Hydro and Mitsubishi had previously tested a 3 vehicle fleet in British Columbia."Hydro-Quebec joins Mitsubishi to test fifty electric vehicles"
Louis Butcher, '' www.ruefrontenac.com'', (translated from French), January 14, 2010 In March 2010, it was reported that Mitsubishi i-MiEV will be available in the United Kingdom from January 2011, with a price starting at GBP38,699 (including 17.5% VAT) before deducting incentive of GBP5,000 from the government, to become one of the first battery cars on the market. In May 2010, Ireland’s first ecar trial-project will be conducted by Trinity College Dublin’s School of Engineering on behalf of ESB was also announced. The car will be tested in consumer situations the U.S. State of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

."Another zappy car for Oregon, "Another zappy car for Oregon"
Rich Read, '' The (Portland) Oregonian'', April 9, 2009 In October 2010 The Government of Canada and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. (MMSCAN) announced a partnership to test the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Innovative Electric Vehicle) in Canada. Transport Canada’s for Vehicles (eTV) program will test two i-MiEVs in government facilities, as well as in a variety of real-world conditions, to evaluate the vehicle’s road handling, performance and range. Test results will also help to assess the potential environmental benefits of electric vehicle technologies in Canada. Mar 4, 2011 - The new generation electric vehicle i-MiEV has been adopted as an electric vehicle to be provided to the Estonian Government from Mitsubishi Corporation. This scale of i-MiEV provision, 507 units has been the largest inquiry MMC has ever received since its sales started. It also marks the first case of provision of electric vehicles under the Green Investment Scheme (GIS).

Awards

* Japan Car of the Year 2009-2010 Most Advanced Technology Award