Can Mitsubishi revamp its all-electric i MiEV by cutting down it’s price? Find out how much more affordable an electric car just got and what it could mean for the rest of the industry.
Get ready for an interesting end of year, as always, it’s time for a price slash. While predictions are being tallied at CarNewsCafe, the last month of the year news rush swamps our desks as we glance over this brick in the puddle, Mitsubishi cut a hefty chunk off its electric i MiEV.
Introducing The New And Improve Mitsubishi i MiEV 2014.
From its original price of $29,900 in line with most current EVs, the i MiEV is now down to $22,995. The $6,130 price slash brings the sticker price down to a never seen before level, as a more affordable and available electric car for many drivers. As it happens to be, $22,995 is about the price most Americans said they would consider buying an electric car. Will Mitsubishi sway those over to the EV camp? It might not be the biggest EV seller, but the iconic i MiEV, we’ve test driven since day one has a lot of charm and features to offer.
Technically speaking, the 2014 I MiEV packs a lot more standard, such as driver and front passenger heated seats, CHAdeMO DC quick charge port, battery warning system, heated mirrors, rear door speakers, leather-covered wheel and shift knob, new daytime running lights, front fog lamps and various trim upgrades. It also includes a 8A/12A switchable Level 1 charging cable, with an ingenious charge port lamp to help you to your charging cable.
The rest is still the same, a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, a 49 kW (66 horsepower), 145 lb-ft electric motor, for an EPA-rated 62 miles and 30 kWh per hundred miles energy usage–for the so-called MPGe standard, for a combined 112 combined, 126 in the city and 99 at highway speeds.
Where The i MiEV Excels.
Let’s get the absurd out of the way, the i MiEV is a Kei car, meaning, small, city and that’s pretty much it. Sure, you can take it on highways, but why? A short hope is one thing, a longer trip makes little sense unless you’re taking the scenic route. The i MiEV excels in city driving and light suburban errands. In many way, this is the ideal second car, seating four and achieving over 120 miles in city driving, according to my sources at Mitsubishi.
Tax Incentive, Local and State.
If you factor the Federal tax incentive can be applied to your tax returns, as long as you make less $100,000 a year, a mitsubishi-i-miev/” title=”(View all articles about Mitsubishi i MiEV here)”>Mitsubishi i MiEV can be had as low as $15,495. Add to this other state incentive, if available, and the EV comes down even more. For instance in California where an extra $2,500 can be added on the purchase of an electric car, the i MiEV dives down to unchartered territory, $12,995. But wait, there is more. Astute readers will quickly realize certain localities offer extra incentives. Certain parts of California adds another $2,500 to the deal, bringing the i MiEV to an extraordinary low price of $10,000!
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We have already seen what the previous price war triggered when Fiat and Chevrolet dropped their leasing prices and terms. Soon after followed Honda with it Fit EV, then the rest of the crowd. It will be interesting to see how other electric car makers react to this, which surely means we could be in for a price matching competition. Still, the question begs will this be enough to revamp the sales of the otherwise great little electric car? We hope, for it deserves a second look and has its place in our infested traffic gridlocked cities. In the meantime, relax and enjoy how other electric car maker react to Mitsubishi slashing the price of its all-electric i MiEV.
