Mitsubishi Electric Car Gets £10,000 Price Reduction

Mitsubishi have recently announced that their I-Mi-EV electric model which is scheduled for delivery to the UK in January 2011, is to be sold £10,000 cheaper than the original agreed price of £38,699. This is to ensure that they keep up with the competition, in particular with Nissan´s UK built Leaf electric vehicle.

After a £5,000 subsidy from the government the new price of the I-Mi-EV will be at £23,990 the exact same price as the Nissan. This will provide the company with a chance to establish Mitsubishi within this developing market and to offer stiff competition to rival manufacturers such as Nissan.

The Nissan Leaf was designed as an electric vehicle but the I- Mi-EV is an adaptation of an existing petrol powered model. Unlike other electric vehicle conversions, the I-Mi-EV still holds reasonable levels of passenger and luggage space, and doesn´t sacrifice these features to accommodate its batteries or its electric propulsion system.

Mitsubishi are determined to retain their dominant status as the number 1 electric vehicle manufacturer and aren´t prepared to give up the title without a fight. Lance Bradley (The UK Mitsubishi managing director) stated, "The I-MI-EV will remain first in all respects. We have been first in almost every aspect of the UK´s EV market for the last 2 to 3 years and we´re not going to give up that position easily."

The company feels that their product has the upper hand against rivals, as they feel it´s perfect for urban driving due to its unique ability to swiftly maneuver itself through traffic and tight car parking spaces which has been made possible by its deliberate compact design.

Although this price cut will be considered great news for the motoring world´s environmental supporters, it does show how young this market still is. It has also been made apparent that the creation of these products isn´t possible without government support and that manufacturers still aren´t clear as to what price these vehicles should be sold at.

published: 12/11/2010