At the 2008 New York International Auto Show, Mitsubishi revealed it is looking to the U.S. market as a possible fit for the company’s tiny 4-passenger car, the i. And if there’s a place for the diminutive car on U.S. roads, then perhaps there might also be a market for an electric version.
Already sold in Japan where it has gained considerable popularity, the i-car is about 10 inches shorter than a MINI Cooper but makes excellent use of available space. Four adult passengers fit easily in the i-car, while still allowing for a bit of cargo — although only a grocery bag or two. Headroom is quite plentiful due to the i-car’s shape.
The shape is even possible in this small of a package because the engine sits below the floor and just forward of the rear axle. This allowed designers to give the rear-wheel-drive i-car a larger passenger compartment while putting the wheels at the corners.
The other advantage to this rear-mid engine layout: converting to an electric version of the i-car does not require any major structural changes. So Mitsubishi replaced the gasoline-powered engine with an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries stored under the floor. This new version of the i-car is called the i-MIEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle).
An even more interesting advantage when converting the i-car into the i-MIEV: With the batteries in the floor, the center of gravity is lowered so much the electric version actually handles better than its gas-powered sibling.
Mitsubishi plans to put the i-MIEV on sale in Japan late next year, but to get an early indication of the viability of this car in America, the company brought a few cars to the New York show. MSN Autos' editors got the chance to take this little car for a spin around Manhattan and found the car would probably feel right at home zipping and lunging between the taxicabs of the Big Apple.
Credit : source http://autoshow.autos.msn.com/autoshow/NewYork2008
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