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Mitsubishi Introduces the Concept-EZ MIEV

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Concept-EZ MIEV

Mitsubishi Motors introduced the Concept-EZ MIEV 4WD mono-box concept car at the 76th Geneva International Motor Show that began today.

The Concept-EZ MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) showcases another application of the company’s MIEV concept for next-generation electric vehicles using in-wheel motors and a high energy-density lithium-ion battery system as core technologies.

The four 20 kW motors deliver a combined maximum output of 80 kW (107 hp) and combined torque of 1,600 Nm. The use of the in-wheel motor also allows for a “wheel-at-a-corner” layout for high-stability road-hugging.

The lithium-ion battery system, with output of 24 kW and weighing 150 kg, is mounted under the floor. Taking advantage of the absence of a centerline powertrain that distinguishes the MIEV concept, the Concept-EZ MIEV provides three seating arrangements:

  • Lounge mode: A conference room-like space with the seats arranged in a circle.

  • Transport mode: Luggage space with the rear seats stowed under the floor.

  • Driving mode: Appropriate for normal driving conditions, spacious and comfortable seating for five adults.

The Concept-EZ accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 11 seconds, and has a cruising range of 120 km (75 miles) with a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).

In January, Mitsubishi introduced the Concept-CT MIEV series/parallel hybrid at the North American International Auto Show, an electric-dominant gasoline-electric series/parallel hybrid concept (earlier post).

The Concept-EZ is the fourth MIEV vehicle Mitsubishi has developed, starting first with the Colt EV in the spring of 2005, followed by the Lancer Evolution and then the Concept-CT.

Comments

Lucas

All they need to do now is put in a small diesel generator and you could drive from coast to coast.

Richard

Hey Lucas, that's a backward step if I've ever heard it. I've never had to drive coast to coast. They have airplanes for that.

JN2

Richard, you should read today's article by Monbiot on air travel...

odograph

Lucas, you could just buy a Honda generator and carry it as cargo, if that was your goal. Actually that's better because most people wouldn't want to carry the generator for in-city driving, or where they have reliable access to plugs.

mahonj

The trick is to make the diesel unit modular so a diesel one or a gasoline one can be fitted, or they can be omitted for city use, or used with a smaller battery.
This would be a serial hybrid then.
Noise reduction might also be a problem unless designed in from the start.
Interestig though. Also has a nice performance spec: reasonable acceleration + sane max speed.
How many people actually driver > 93 mph ( once they have passed through puberty ) ?
A question: if you limit the max speed, and can use thinner tires as a result, how does this affect mpg ?

mahonj

More ...
What about a serial hybrid which is electric led and only has the ICE for emergency situations ?
Say we have 80KW of power from the battery, but only 40 form the generator. As long as you could drive at say 65mph, you could go on unexpected long trips, or "get you home" in a city if it all went wrong. The main thing is that it would eliminate the "running out of juice" feeling that you could get in a battery only car.
Also, the mitsu has 225 wide tyres - for a 90mph car ?
I guess it is a concept and has to look cool. Surely a real one could be offered with "ecomomy" or "pose" tires ?
Also, what about modular batteries - a 60 km and a 120 km version - you would save quite a bit of weight and cost.

tom deplume

After reading the Monboit article I've come to the conclusion that he is a scientific illiterate.

Lucas


I figure that if you do it right, you should be able to drive from LA to NY on one five gallon tank of gas.

Lucas


Maybe four gallons of BioDiesel...

Harvey D

mahonj: I like your idea. Buyers should have the choice between various configurations to best satisfy their driving requirements. Personnally, I would pick the larger batterry pack with the smallest gen-set to maximize EV mode. Just enough power from the gen-set to barely maintain 60 mph, with 2 people on board, on longer trips would be satisfactory for me. Others may prefer the opposite, and that's a legitimate choice. Ideally, with modular battery packs, one may be able to add batteries to optimize the configuration as funds become available.

Joseph Willemssen

Excuse me, but why does every thread need to gravitate towards a discussion of plug-ins and biodiesel? This concept vehicle is a pure electric vehicle.

I understand that people have their pet favorite modalities, but it gets a bit tiresome having to listen to the same schpiels about (bio)diesel and/or GOHEVs at every turn, regardless of the true topic of the thread.

Starvid

Range is a bit on the weak side, only 120 kilometers.

How long are charging times?

If they are short, <10 minutes, the short range is not a big trouble.

But if you are going 500 km it is quite a pain to stop and charge 4 times à 8 hours.

But 120 km is good enough for commuting.

Mark A

Bravo, Joseph. Yes I have been noticing, too, the affinity to berate these true electrics "CONCEPTS" as inferior due to their lack of plug-ins, gensets, or the lack of use of biodiesel in their operation. One must crawl before one can walk, much less run a marathon. Lets embrace these technologies, and future ones, and then vote with our checkbooks on which is best.

Lucas

The energy has to come from somewhere. If you don't plug it in, you have to have someway to recharge it.

(Maybe you would just throw it away?)

Alex

Last sunday I was at Toronto autoshow and saw Subaru RV1 electric (not sure about the name though). Its tiny, way tiny even for my minimalistic mind. Anyway:
range is 120km, time to recharge to 80% SOC is 5 mins.
Question is car makers can tease public as much as they want but untill its availible on the road its just an air
blowing. Same with this one. Somehow I find that carmakers
do it "just in case" that oil prices will skyrocket. No way they put it into production with today gas prices.

t

Yes, this whole concept car deal is frustrating. What do they do with these concepts, anyway? Test market them? Maybe they put these out so they can read all these great comments on Green Car Congress. :)

If people want to discuss modifications, what's the harm? Maybe someone with influence is listening, somewhere.

As far as that goes, I could live with an electric only with 75 mile range and fast recharge. I can just use my other car for long trips.

Harvey D

Joeph W. Don't you think that PHEVs will precede pure EVs and even be essential for users with frequent long highway drives, until such time as the pure EVs can store enough energy for 300+ miles at high speed? I guess that an EVs for city driving + a PHEV for longer drives + a 3-ton 4 x4 to impress the neighbour would be a good combination but who can afford all that harware. A PHEV with modular units that could easily be transformed into a pure EV when batteries become powerful/small/cheap enough would be a good concept or a phased transition to pure EVs.

Lucas

In my current and short term future situation, I would have no use for an electric only auto. I like to live in the most sparsely populated places I can find and plan on moving to Wyoming this summer.

I know there are many who would be able to use one like this and far be it from me to discourage them.

I sure would like to see some other automakers start to use the in-wheel drive system. I hope some are silently experimenting with it.

Not very encouraged though. Auto engineers are the least imaginative folks I've ever met. Auto CEOs are even less so.

odograph

I think it is strange, in a country with multiple-car familes, to think that every new car has to satisfy both daily communte and once-a-year road trip.

If you are a single (and single-car) person you are in the minority ... with minority goals.

With cheap gas an no evironmental concern, we now see 3-4 SUV families (as families reach the "teenage drivers" stage) ... but with higher gas prices and a little more global warming awareness ... maybe it will be "just" 2 SUVs and an electric.

(And yes, for that once-a-year road trip you can plug in at your motel, and take a honda generator and/or solar panels if you are going into the wilderness.)

odograph

Oh, and I could mention that even some single people could choose to park their much-loved SUV or sports car, and take the electric for weekday commutes.

Russell Phillips

Mitsubishi seems to be pushing hard in the EV area so we may see some production models soon from these concepts. Big fan of the EV revolution so I'm crossing my fingers.

Recharge times? I think A123Systems is just now getting a production plant going for it's advanced batteries and I haven't heard of any other going production yet so these almost have to be standard batteries so recharge would be long. This is a concept though so by the time there is a production model who knows. Though I think for fast recharge you would need special recharge stations. I don't think even 220v would give that super quick charge the batteries can support. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Range? 75 miles is enough for lots of people to use it for their second commuter car (or city car). I certainly would buy it (well dependent on cost). The general market though I believe will almost certainly demand a car with a little more range and flexibility so plug in hybrid & bio-fuel. I'm sorry not touting my favorite technology just looking at market forces as I see them.

Fast recharge stations don't exist yet and just because 98% of the time you don't need the extra range that 2% worries a lot of people. Sure you HARDLY ever drive your car anywhere but to work and back but what do you do when you DO need to drive out of town?

Like I said though these are just concepts and the biggest thing for a car like this which would drive acceptance as a "commuter" replacement or a strictly "city" car will be gas costs. If they go up enough people will be happy to sacrifice that seldom needed convenience of the long range and fast refill for the dramatic reduction in fuel cost.

Then again maybe in the next year or so we'll see some vehicles made with the new super batteries and the utility companies will jump on board and create a "electric corridor" filled with fast recharge stations somewhere in the US. We've got the "hydrogen & ethanol" ones starting now so what's one more. Heheh.

mahonj

This would make a great 2nd car for a (sub)urban family.
Electric is very good for short range, stop/start.
ICE is very good for long journeys, especially (bio)diesel.
Hybrids are an expensive way to combine the two in 1 car, but if you allow for 2 cars, you do not need to hybridise, just figure out how to park them.
If the EV is for short range use, you can keep it simple and cheap.
The problem is one of marketing as much as engineering.
[ but we still need a better battery (+ultracap) system ]

Adrian Akau

The batteries and ultra capacitors presently being developed take only a few minutes to charge up. We should rethink the purpose of a service station in terms of supplying electricity for charges and not just liquid fuel. Since it takes about the same amount of time to charge as to pump gas, there should not be much difficulty in estabishing charge prices according to the Kw hours required for the service. Remember that in the 1800's the only service stations were for changes in fresh horses, for re-shoeing and for other animal related services.

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cs1992

Given the lithium ion batteries, is the range any better than using less expensive NiMH batteries?

Hampden Wireless

Ok, so 75 mile is not as far as a gas powered car but its enough for me. I could go round trip to work without charging at work. Of course I would charge it at work.

This type of vehicle could include a tag along generator for people needing longer trips. I hope Mitsu sells an all electric car here sometime soon.

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