The arrival of the 2012 North American spec i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) was celebrated Vancouver with Shin Fujioka, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc.. The i-MiEV will be available to Canadians at Mitsubishi dealerships in the coming weeks.
“Just over a year ago we celebrated the completion of the Clean Across Canada Tour in Vancouver with our Japanese i-MiEV and today we celebrate the arrival of our first 77 North American i-MiEV’s to Canadian soil,” said Fujioka. “We have been working closely with several partners across Canada over the past year and know our EV technology is ready for the Canadian urban commuters.”
Mitsubishi set up a test fleet partnership with several provincial, municipal, fleet and corporate partners across Canada that have 43 i-MiEV’s on the road across Canada. These partners include: Hydro Quebec, BC Hydro, City of Vancouver, Town of Qualicum Beach, District of Saanich, ENMAX, Government of Manitoba, Transport Canada, City of Toronto, City of Montreal, Eaton, Right to Play, Club Assist and Autoshare.
“We have gained valuable information about our batteries and charging systems,” said Fujioka, “and we have a better idea of how well the i-MiEV will integrate with the electric grid. All of this information is valuable as we launch the i-MiEV into the Canadian market.”
The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) is a five-door, 4-passenger, subcompact hatchback that the company says has been designed and packaged to be efficient, ecological and fun to drive.
Mitsubishi says the i-MiEV will be the most affordable, mass-produced, all-electric vehicle in the Canadian marketplace. With a range of up to 155 kilometres, and a top speed of 130 km/h, the company says it expects the i-MiEV will make an excellent commuter vehicle for many Canadians living in urban areas. Thanks to its excellent fuel efficiency rated as 112 MPGe(2.1 L/100km), i-MiEV has scored first-place honours of “Fuel Economy Leaders: 2012 Model Year” by the EPA annual Fuel Economy Guide in the U.S.
The fully equipped i-MiEV will be available in two trim levels, the standard i-MiEV will have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $32,998.00 and the top of the line i-MiEV with the Premium Package will have a MSRP of $35,998.00.
With a MSRP of $32,998 — a full $ 5,397 less than electric vehicles produced by other mainstream automobile manufacturers.The provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have already announced subsidies towards the purchase of electric vehicles (a credit for the i-MiEV is $8,231 in Ontario, $7,769 expected in Quebec and $5,000 in British Columbia). Therefore, the net MSRP of the i-MiEV in these three provinces will be $24,767 in Ontario, $25,229 in Quebec (expected) and $27,998 in British Columbia.
Furthermore, Quebec will also offer a 50 per cent subsidy on the purchase and installation of a home charger, up to a maximum of $1,000 and British Columbia will offer a rebate of up $500 on the purchase of an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment) system.
