Mitsubishi leads charge of the light horse

MITSUBISHI Motors Corporation believes electric cars could make up 10 per cent of its total production in 10 years.

Its first in-wheel electric car, based on the "i" concept minicar, is tipped to be on the road in Japan by 2010 for a sub-$US19,000 pricetag.

For the rest of the world, MMC’s work on the Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle (MIEV) takes the whole alternative power argument to a whole new level.

By eschewing the conventional hybrid-electric path to riches MMC is investing millions into an electric drive system it believes is the future of alternative powered vehicles.

The company is also hoping the electric car will re-invigorate its battered global fortunes and revive its image as a technological leader.

It is currently testing the system in a Colt hatch using lithium-ion battery technology the company says offers superior power and longer life over other types of rechargeable batteries.

The EV system has also been successfully trailed in a Lancer.

The in-wheel electric motor makes it possible to regulate drive torque and braking force independently at each wheel without the need for any transmission, drive shaft or other complex mechanical components.

If all goes according to plan the production car will have a recharging time of just two hours from a simple home 240-volt power outlet, a top speed of 150km/h and a range of more than 250km between recharges.

Importantly too, it will produce no harmful emissions.

MMC has also been able to leverage its position in the mighty Mitsubishi Corporation by entering into a joint venture with Mitsubishi Chemicals to develop the lithium-ion batteries that are lighter, safer and more powerful than current in-car systems.

Senior executive director of MMC, Tetsuro Aikawa, told GoAuto that MMC did not want to go down the path of developing a conventional hybrid-electric car in the vein of the Toyota Prius.

"Toyota is concentrating on hybrids so therefore we have an opportunity to lead other manufacturers in EV technology," he said.

Mr Aikawa, who oversees product development and environmental research, said MMC’s link with Mitsubishi Chemicals had been critical in solving one of the problems of in-wheel electric motors.

He said such an alliance proved the core strength of the corporate culture at Mitsubishi and the lengths the company would go to to ensure MMC was a success.

"Ten years ago many manufacturers tried to develop in-wheel electric motors," he said.

However, because the lead acid battery capacities were limited, car-makers like Toyota and Honda moved to joint petrol-electric hybrids, he said.

"We have continued R&D and in the past five years the performance of the battery technology has improved." Mr Aikawa claims a pure electric vehicle does not need a large infrastructure to support it.

"We can use current power outlets, so there are distinct advantages," he said.

Not every motorist could afford hybrid or fuel-cell technology, which made a pure EV car more affordable for budget motorists, he said.

Mr Aikawa said he foresaw the day when EVs made up 10 per cent of MMC’s car production.

"I think EV is revolutionary technology," he said.

The advantages over conventional petrol engines are that the in-wheel motors can be in two or four wheels, available as front, rear or all-wheel drive. In-wheel electric motors also eliminate spin and oversteer problems.

However, Mr Aikawa conceded that the front in-wheel engines created difficulties with the steering linkages.



Another disavantage is that because the whole "engine" is housed in the wheel - much like a large drum brake - it has a negative impact on the car’s suspension system, compromising an optimum ride and handling dynamic.

Mitsubishi aims to have that sorted by the time the car goes on sale.

"Vehicle drivetrains have effectively had no change over the past 100 years since the Model T Ford," Mr Aikawa said.

He also believes the in-wheel technology is so revolutionary that MMC could successfully licence it to other car-makers once Mitsubishi had produced enough vehicles of its own.

Mitsubishi also believes MIEV offers potential in the ongoing evolution of its all-wheel control technology in the Lancer Evolution, Pajero and other 4WD models.

The fact that the drive system is housed inside the wheel itself offers significant design freedom.

It also makes it easier to locate such space-consuming components as batteries, fuel-cell stacks and hydrogen tanks used in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.

Drive impressions:

VISUALLY the brilliant white hatch looks just like any other Colt, except for the giant "Colt EV - MIEV" lettering plastered down the car’s flanks.

Pop the bonnet though and there is a real surprise – the conventional 1.5-litre engine is gone – in its place a roomy luggage area.

To the untrained eye, there is no way of knowing where the power for the Colt exactly comes from, until you bend down and look closely at the rear wheels.

The petrol engine, fuel tank and transmission have been removed, replaced by two in-wheel motors fitted to the rear wheels and powered by a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery system.

Behind the stylish alloys, the two electric motors look a lot like oversized drum brakes.

The MIEV – or Mitsubishi In-wheel Electric Vehicle – signals to the world that electric cars are not flights of fancy.

Which is partly why the Japanese company was happy to let journalists loose in its million-dollar electric prototype.

The other reason is to signal to the world not to right off Mitsubishi Motors Corp just yet.

With an engineer in tow, GoAuto got the opportunity to drive the Colt EV around Mitsubishi’s test facility near Nagoya recently.

Once briefed the start-up procedure is simple. Flick a switch or two, foot on brake, engage drive and away you go.

There’s an audible muffled vacuum-cleaner sound from the rear as the Colt accelerates away with a seemingly mountain of low-down torque – 600Nm at a maximum 1500rpm is the figure quoted. With a kerb weight of 1150kg acceleration is spritely and ultra-smooth as there is no conventional transmission.

Mitsubishi reckons the wee electric hatch is good for 150km/h from the two 20kW electric motors with a range of 150km, a distance it hopes to double by the time the production car arrives.

What impresses about the EV is the silence, apart from the whirring sound from under the rear seats. Speed continues to build until the wary engineer sitting in the passenger seat suggests 80km/h is fast enough.

The Colt EV has a slightly firm ride than the conventional hatch, which is a good thing and engineers have managed to ensure the car has an almost 50/50 weight distribution, which enhances handling.

Rigorous proving ground tests are under way to tune the car’s dynamics and regulate the independent control of drive torque and braking force for left and right wheels.

If Mitsubishi is right and the car goes on sale with a sub-$US19,000 pricetag, more people will flick the switch – particularly if petrol prices keep skyrocketing.