Mitsubishi celebrates a decade of i-MiEV, pioneering mass-production electric vehicles

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation marked the 10th anniversary of its launch of the zero-emission i-MiEV city car, which paved the way for the automotive industry's seismic shift towards mass-produced electric vehicles.

The i-MiEV has won a high profile not only for its environmental credentials but also through its visibility in government use in many countries, as well as in taxi and rent-a-car fleets.

The powertrain from the i-MiEV was also used in a commercial vehicle called the Minicab MiEV which was released in 2011. MMC will supply 1,200 units for Japan Post in this September. Although small, the Minicab MiEV is spacious enough to be useful for delivery companies in urban environments.

Crucially, the i-MiEV also accelerated Mitsubishi's research and development into EV powertrains, which led directly to the 2013 launch of the Outlander PHEV, Europe's best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle continuously over the past four years (2015-2018).

Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology was also pioneered by the i-MiEV. After Great East Japan Earthquake hit Japan in 2011, MMC rushed to introduce a device called the MiEV Power Box one year ahead of schedule. It enables the i-MiEV to supply power to domestic electric appliances in the event of a power outage and was the trailblazer for V2H charging.