Sub $30K electric vehicle tested for local market

Mitsubishi is going backmost to the aboriginal with a caller electrical car.

The Japanese marque was the archetypal large shaper to connection an electrical car successful Australia, launching the i-MiEV successful 2010.

The egg-shaped hatchback was a pioneer, combining tiny dimensions with a 47kW centrifugal and astir 120 kilometres of scope for astir $50,000.

It promised a glimpse of what motoring would look similar successful decades to come.

But it was besides a commercialized disaster, truthful the marque is treading cautiously with its spiritual successor, the Mitsubishi eK X.

Built to a peculiar acceptable of rules for Japan’s tiny “Kei cars”, the small eK X (pronounced Eee-kay cross, not Eck-ex) is not allowed to person ample dimensions oregon a almighty motor.

The refrigerator look is simply a effect of engineers utilizing each past millimetre of abstraction disposable to them, pushing the car retired to each 8 corners of a cube-like container acceptable retired successful Japanese law.

The aforesaid goes for its 47kW, 195Nm motor; they are the maximum outputs allowed successful Japan.

Mitsubishi’s wide manager of selling and merchandise strategy, Oliver Mann, is riding shotgun with maine successful the specially imported car.

“We’re not selling the car today,” helium says.

“But we are wanting to gauge the marketplace and recognize the level of involvement and acceptance for a small EV similar the eK X. It’s been truly positive.”

Electric conveyance supporters and small-car fans person said saccharine things astir the eK X, a instrumentality that shapes up arsenic a modern successor to the Smart car.

Dealers correspond a much hard sell.

Ruthlessly driven by the bottommost line, they were burnt by the acquisition of trying to merchantability tiny electrical cars for the terms of a V8 Holden much than a decennary ago.

The immense bulk of car companies person shifted distant from tiny runabouts. You can’t bargain a Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta, VW Up, Hyundai i20 oregon Renault Clio immoderate more.

But Mann believes babe cars volition person their clip again.

“Escalating motoring costs, municipality congestion and present emissions controls coming successful the aboriginal are paving the mode for small metropolis cars with EV powertrains specified arsenic this,” helium says.

“Personally I deliberation there’s a constituent successful clip erstwhile these volition play a important relation successful the Australian car market.

“At what constituent that is, we don’t precisely know.”

Mitsubishi is targeting a sub-$30,000 concern lawsuit for the small EV, should it spell connected sale.

It has immoderate of the features buyers should expect from a modern machine, including a touchscreen with smartphone mirroring.

There’s much country than you mightiness expect – peculiarly successful the staggeringly spacious backmost spot – and the compact dimensions marque it casual to park.

This is simply a zero-fuss car for folks who request a acceptable of wheels for zipping astir town.

Phone booth styling results successful outstanding visibility successful traffic. Low velocity manoeuvring is simply a doddle – it’s similar parking a buying trolley.

Acceleration is perky, helped by the instant torque from its electrical motor.

Our little municipality thrust didn’t impact high-speed cornering oregon a motorway run, but it was wide that this is simply a car champion suited to metropolitan life.

It’s rather noisy astatine much than 60km/h and I wouldn’t similar to beryllium wrong an eK X connected a motorway with beardown transverse winds.

The worth equation volition beryllium hard to get close arsenic larger, much almighty and applicable Chinese electrical cars creep ever person to Mitsubishi’s $30,000 people price, and a five-star information standing is retired of the question.

It misses retired connected features specified arsenic a centre airbag, and it’s conscionable excessively small.

But Mitsubishi inactive believes determination is simply a ample accidental surrounding its littlest car.

MITSUBISHI EK X

PRICE About $30,000 drive-away (not connected sale)

MOTOR 47kW and 195Nm

RANGE 180km

SPARE Repair kit