Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport Concept Plug-in Hybrid

Mitsubishi showed off the MIEV sport plug-in concept hybrid at the Tokyo auto show recently. MIEV is powered by an electric motor for each of the front wheels and one for the rear wheels- MIEV is actually an acronym for Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle. The vehicle has a top speed of over 100 mph and gets it power from a Lithium ion battery pack. Photovoltaic solar cells mounted on the roof of the car help the MIEV go up to 120 miles. The design of the car is sporty and sure to turn heads.

It also features the S-AWC system which uses torque vectoring technology to send a different amount of torque to any wheel at any given time, which will also be present on the new Lancer Evo 10.

With a long wheel base, the battery is stored under the floor with the motor, inverter and charger beneath the luggage compartment, this layout lowers the center of gravity, optimizes weight distribution and increases the safety of the occupants in the event of a rear end collision.

Using PLC technology, which uses a household power socket as a LAN port and the indoor power wiring as LAN cable, allows the user to connect the car to their home computer to do things such as: preset vehicle recharging, update navigation systems, send or receive email and collect vehicle maintenance information.

Mitsubishi are also developing a microwave wireless charging system to make recharging more convenient, which they hope will boost the future prospect of the electric vehicle. There are rumours that Mitsubishi is planning to launch the all-electric MIEV plug-in in the UK by 2011. Other markets are sure to follow soon.