The Mitsubishi iMiEV was first released for sale to the public in 2010, making it the first (current era) mass produced full battery electric vehicle (BEV) to be offered for sale. (It was not however the first mass-produced ground-up design BEV, as the iMiEV was based on their existing 659cc petrol i car).
Made between 2010 and 2021, sales outside of Japan effectively ended after 2014. Popular in its home country of Japan and sold under both Citroen and Peugeot badges as the iOn (Peugeot) and C-Zero (Citroen), it struggled to sell in Australia. Mitsubishi ended iMiEV sales here in March 2014 with Australian sales totalling around 250 units.
MiEV van:
Whilst never imported to Australia by Mitsubishi, a number of the iMiEV van/minicab variant (called the MiEV) were privately imported. They use the same running gear as the iMiEV, but may have either a 16kWh iMiEV battery or a smaller 12kWh one.
Important note:
The biggest issues with private imports are service, warranty and recall support. Privately imported vehicles are generally not supported by the dealer networks who often refuse to work on them, or perform any warranty or recall work that would have been done for free in their country of origin.
iMiev Variants
| Battery (kWh) | NEDC Range (km) | Real World Range (km) | Power Output (Nm) | Plug Types (AC/DC) | Max Charge Rate (AC/DC) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 150 | 104 | 47 | Type 1/ CHAdeMO | 3.7/40 | - |
DRIVING RANGE
The iMiEV had a quoted range of around 150km, but in reality it’s at best 100km.
Australian delivered iMiEVs are all ageing and are now between 7 to 11 years old. This means they will have a reduced range due to battery ageing. Whilst the iMiEV battery has not declined in the way that the early Leafs did, iMiEV range is now likely to be, at most, around 80km. This will be even less in winter as the heating system in the iMiEV was quite inefficient compared to the reverse cycle heating/cooling systems found in most current-day EVs.
CHARGING SPEEDS/REQUIREMENTS
Charging ports
The iMiEV was fitted with a Type 1 AC socket and a CHAdeMO DC fast-charge socket.
AC charging:
The iMiEV is fitted with the single phase type 1 AC socket and charges at up to 3.7kW on AC EVSEs. (EVSE = Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, commonly referred to as an EV charger).
For AC charging, iMiEV owners will need a Type 1 to Type 2 adaptor lead (at a cost of around $250) to use most current AC EVSEs.
General charging note:
Charging speeds vary on the capacity of the car’s inbuilt charger, the EVSE the car is connected to and the vehicle battery size. Charging times for the iMiEV are shown in table 1. (0-100% for AC, 0-80% for DC)
DC fast charging
The iMiEV has a maximum 40kW charging rate when connected to a CHAdeMO DC charger.
However, whilst CHAdeMO DC fast-charge plugs will remain at most DC fast-charge stations for some years into the future, CHAdeMO DC fast-charging has been superseded. All but one BEV now sold in Australia uses the alternative CCS2 DC charge system.
Home charging considerations
To get the shortest home charging time for an iMiEV a 3.7kW (16A) AC EVSE is all that is needed.
Depending on your existing power supply and/or charging needs, it may only be necessary (or practicable) to fit a lower rated EVSE. (See notes re home EVSE installations at the end of this section). Lower capacity EVSEs will increase charging times, as shown in table 1.
Important note for any home EVSE installation:
Switchboard and/or electrical supply upgrades may be needed if your home is more than 20 years old.
See article ‘Is your home EV Ready’ in ReNew magazine, edition 143 (https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/electric-vehicles/is-your-home-ev-ready/)
| AC: 0 – 100% time | DC: 0 – 80% time |
iMiev Time to Charge (hrs)
| Battery size (kWh) | 10A socket 1 Phase (2.4kW) | 15A 1 phase (3.6kW) | 32A 1 phase (7.2kW) | 16A 3 phase (11kW) | DC Fast Charge (50kW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 8h | 4.75h | 4.75h | 4.75h | 24m |
HOME CHARGING CONSIDERATIONS
To get the shortest home charging times, you could install the following:
i3 60Ah: 32A (7.2 kW) single phase EVSE.
i3 94Ah and 120Ah: 16A (11 kW) three phase EVSE.
Lower capacity EVSEs will increase charging times, as shown in table 1 above.
Find more info about EVSEs on our FAQs page.
iMiev Specifications
| Cargo space (litres) | Cargo Space with rear seats folded (litres) | Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Width with mirrors (mm) | Height (mm) | Tow Rating (braked / unbraked) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166 | 860 | 3475 | 1475 | 1585 | 1610 | - |
