Mitsubishi

MIEV

MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) or MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) is the name given by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) to its alternative propulsion technologies. 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 first exhibited at 2005 Tokyo Motor Show which used a series of lithium-ion batteries to power electric motors located in the wheels. Subsequent electrically powered vehicles have included a 200 kW Lancer Evolution, and a battery-equipped Mitsubishi i kei car (i-MIEV). 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 and the U.K. are scheduled to begin in January 2011.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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History

Before developing the first MIEV concept, Mitsubishi built several electric vehicles 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. 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, 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, 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 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 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 or a hydrogen fuel cell.

Benefits

According to Mitsubishi, locating the motor behind the wheel offers the company three distinct advantages: It allows for a four wheel drive system without need of transmission, driveshafts, 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 vehicles since the technology's heyday in the 1980s. Placing the drive system entirely in the wheels allows for greater freedom of design for interior stylists. The space created facilitates the storage of the batteries, 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, 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. The car was driven by two in-wheel motors located in the rear wheels each producing a power of 20 kW (27 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque without the need for a transmission. This gave the car a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and an estimated range of 150 km (93 mi) with a 13 kWh battery pack. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MIEV (2005). A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX sedan fitted with four 50 kW (67 hp) motors took part in the 2005 Shikoku EV Rally. The Lancer MIEV is capable of 180 km/h (112 mph), and has a range of 250 km (155 mi). Mitsubishi Concept-CT MIEV (2006). The first MIEV prototype based on the platform and "rear midship" layout of the Mitsubishi i kei car, the Concept-CT is a sport compact prototype, and was first exhibited at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. 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 20 kW (27 hp) 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 1,750 mm (68.9 in). 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. This vehicle was the first where the "i" in MiEV stood for "innovative", a

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

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Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4387302CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIEVCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1350624690 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitsubishi_Miev_(3287556306).jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Mike Babcock from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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