- The 2012 Mitsubishi i beats beats the 2011 Nissan Leaf in the EPA's fuel economy ratings, according to fuel economy numbers released by Mitsubishi on Thursday.
- The 2012 Mitsubishi i delivers 126 MPGe in city driving and 99 MPGe on the highway; the 2011 Nissan Leaf delivers 106 MPGe in city driving and 92 MPGe on the highway.
- However, the EPA says the Mitsubishi i has a driving range of 62 miles, while the Leaf gets 73 miles on a charge.
CYPRESS, California — The 2012 Mitsubishi i beats the 2011 Nissan Leaf in the EPA's fuel economy ratings, according to fuel economy numbers released by Mitsubishi on Thursday. The EPA has yet to post official numbers for Mitsubishi's new electric car on its Web site, but it typically releases the information to automakers ahead of posting.
The 2012 Mitsubishi i delivers 126 MPGe in city driving and 99 MPGe on the highway; the 2011 Nissan Leaf delivers 106 MPGe in city driving and 92 MPGe on the highway. MPGe stands for "miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent," according to EPA nomenclature.
However, the EPA says the Mitsubishi i has a driving range of 62 miles, while it says the Leaf gets 73 miles on a charge.
The 2012 Mitsubishi i will go on sale in November starting on the West Coast, with a nationwide rollout to follow later. The U.S. version will start at $28,850, including an $860 destination charge. It is eligible for a $7,500 federal rebate. The Nissan Leaf hit the market with a pre-credit tax MSRP of $32,780.
Mitsubishi also debuted a solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles at its North American headquarters here. The station symbolizes the automaker's commitment to "electric vehicle readiness," said Mitsubishi in a statement.
Inside Line says: The Mitsubishi i stacks up well in the EPA numbers game.
Add A Comment »
mirde98 says:
07:46 AM, 07/10/2011
Awesome! Finnaly, it is good to see Mitsubishi alive again. I truly hope for the brand to wake up and start making cool cars that people want to buy. I've had great experiences in the past with Mirages, Lancers, and Galants.
jessica84 says:
01:07 PM, 07/08/2011
While I do think range is an important factor in someone's decision to buy an EV, this car is for a very specific type of driver - one that does not drive a lot. Obviously, for someone who drives 70 miles or more per day and isn't able to charge their car throughout (say when someone is parked at work), a Mitsubishi i and even a Nissan Leaf will be pretty out of the question for them. These cars are great for people who drive at or under 50-60 miles per day. I honestly don't think a range difference of only 10 miles is going to matter much to someone who can complete their daily commute under 50-60 miles. (on top of the fact that an additional 10 miles won't even get me to the dry cleaners and back) Also, keep in mind that range, just like MPG, will vary from driver to driver depending on driver habits, road conditions, weather, etc. I think its great that Mitsubishi has introduced a competitor to the Nissan Leaf.
jazzor says:
07:30 AM, 07/08/2011
aston_dbs says:
12:06 PM, 07/07/2011
With that tiny wheels and (seem like?) 4 seating capacity, I'll take Leaf anyday.
Also, this 'i' seems a bit unsafe to me...
Do your research and check out the crash rating on the Miev both here and in EU... then come back and post when you get results... I know the results.. I just want you guys here to go out and research, research, research... that's the keyword = research
ant14 says:
05:48 AM, 07/08/2011
The only way that thing can go on the highway cycle is with a few saint statues on top of the dashboard... I cant believe someone would risk their lives on that thing, to save a few bucks of gas.
wingsnbeer says:
04:04 AM, 07/08/2011
Yeah, let me know when they come up with an EV with a 300 mile range just under $20k. Then I'll be interested. BTW it looks like VW is on the right track with this thing (although sure it's way too expensive):
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-01/vws-260-mpg-diesel-hybrid-concept-may-actually-get-built
jazzy7 says:
11:53 PM, 07/07/2011
Driving this car is like having zits and wearing a chastity belt.
cr_driver says:
05:47 PM, 07/07/2011
Having the best fuel economy and price is a big plus, more so to offset the minuses this car might have compared against other features of the Leaf.
se_riously says:
03:41 PM, 07/07/2011
kiiwii wrote: "why do we not have mass production cars running on natural gas in US? it's 0 emission, and there is plenty of natural gas in reserve. I think the only natural gas car available was from Honda, but it was a short term lease only."
Zero emissions? Heck no, but definitely cleaner than gasoline. Typically,
Carbon monoxide (CO) by 70 percent - 90 percent
Non-methane organic gas (NMOG) by 50 - 75 percent
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 75 - 95 percent
Carbon dioxide (CO2) by 20 - 30 percent
And you can buy a Honda Civic GX in California, Utah, New York, and Oklahoma. Fleet sales are available in all 50 states.
aston_dbs says:
12:06 PM, 07/07/2011
With that tiny wheels and (seem like?) 4 seating capacity, I'll take Leaf anyday.
Also, this 'i' seems a bit unsafe to me...
Just saw a blue Leaf on a highway a few days ago, and IMHO, it looks pretty good!
juan_mx says:
11:36 AM, 07/07/2011
Oops! I was wrong, the US MiEV is bigger.
The US version of the MiEV is slightly longer (144.9") than a Fiat 500 (139.6") , but it is narrower (62.4" vs 64.1"). Yet it is a very small car compared with the Leaf.