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Mitsubishi to use shared platform?

http://gas2.org/2016/12/18/shared-electric-car-platform-will-reduce-costs-nissan-renault-mitsubishi/

Ghosn's take on saving Mitsubishi: http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/channels/Renault-Nissan-Alliance-News/releases/the-case-for-reviving-mitsubishi-motors-by-carlos-ghosn

And InsideEV's report on the shared platform: http://insideevs.com/nissan-targets-17000-leaf-electric-car-will-share-platform-with-renault-mitsubishi/
 
'Mitsubishi Motors: Sever ties with its longtime partner, or choose to support its revival. "We chose the latter,"'

As Ghosn states, he chose the latter, however, supporting revival could imply that the existing products weren't profitable enough (and it's pretty obvious that Mitsu lost a fair load of money on the IMIEV project) - so, as a cynic choosing the latter can often sort of meant the former.

Its a shame that it looks like the current most popular models of EVs will become like toasters and washing machines - the same, but with different badges on the front. That may still be a good product, but it's not great for consumer choice, because your choices are Nissan Leaf, Renault Leaf or Mitsubishi Leaf essentially - all with the same technology, and its not necessarily the best out there.

I think the most significant product Mitsubishi had on offer was the Outlander PHEV, and thats a valuable class for Nissan - as in Europ they have the Quashki and X-trail, both of which are ICE only, so I think they were definitely interested in the 4x4 segment. Peugeot/ Citroen already had a tie up with Mitsubishi, so this deal ends that possibility for them, and the previous Outlander was also offered as a brand engineered Peugeot - but failed to sell in large numbers.

It does confine the IMIEV to history as a first in a number of things, but also the last.

There are definitely some cars that are desirable in their exclusivity, I think the IMIEV will stay that way, and it will get more popular I am sure, especially as the 2020 upspike in EV rollout comes - people will definitely look further.

I still cant understand why Mitsubishi put no sign of the words 'EV' or Zero Emission on the car... yes it's in the name, but it's not immediately obvious to the mainstream.

After owning my IMIEV for 8 months now, I am still trying to understand the long term implications to EV ownership - does the car become like an appliance that breaks and gets thrown away after 8-10 years, or is it fully repairable, like most ICE cars - that is a question I keep asking myself. The great thing about ICE is that there generally arent any single-part components that would write off a car if they went wrong, but thats something that EVs do possess - especially the IMIEV, where the battery is essentially a non-service item. I think thats a part of my utilitarianism - I don't like throwing things that can be fixed away, so I have always chosen fixable things (or things that dont go wrong much, like Hondas and Toyotas). I think that anyone who drives an IMIEV has to be fairly utilitarian, and the thought of a cell failure writing the car off is a major thing I battle with, because I do not have the ability or time to take on that kind of fix. The spare parts availability is also very limited - it's no Ford Focus after all.

Thats a big consideration to someone like me, who before the IMIEV, tended to buy higher than average cost vehicles, but at about 4-6 years old, and kept them for about 3-6 years after that. It's a different way of looking at car ownership, and a battery failure is always a consideration.
 
If I read phb10186 correctly, you're thinking about very long term i-MiEV ownership (breaking with your past as one who purchases cars that are 4-6 years old and keeps them for 3-6 years). I'd say no worries, and welcome to the club. JoeS kept his SAABs going for 40+ years, and i-MiEV maintenance is a cinch compared to that. My main worries are not discrete components like the gearbox or battery cells, as our batteries are much more easily rebuilt than a LEAF, and I believe that I could do so successfully today with third-party cells.
However, if a short or accident were to melt a wiring bundle or software gets scrambled after factory support ends, an owner could be up the creek. Our EV is the simplest of the modern offerings by far, and there are enough of them in global circulation to keep the survivors supplied for a very long time.

Me, I foresee MR BEAN getting passed along if he survives my kids' high school careers, as I won't have the nostalgic affection for it like I do my Karmann Ghias, and other used EVs should be great bargains by then, but you never know...

It is quite tempting to take a flooded car like Ben's raspberry, gut it and create a LiPo-powered drag racer along the lines of the White Zombie (narrowed Ford 9" rear end, Siamesed 9" series motors, twin Zilla 2k controllers), but my matrix of time, money, and project priorities do not allow.
 
Mechanically, the i-MiEV is simple. Like Jay said, folks with knowledge of high-voltage battery systems could re-pack the battery with new cells. There is likely nothing to fail in the gearbox from normal usage. Brakes are bog-standard disc/drum, and should last a very long time with the aggressive regen. If the car shows signs of a flat 12 volt battery (dim lights, sluggish/non-functional power door locks), don't even try to start it. Doing so could latch the MCU warning light. Jump it from a 12 volt battery charger or another car first.

My worries going forward are access to a MUT-3 and tires. The stock Dunlop Enasaves have supposedly been on nationwide backorder for 4 years now for independent tire shops (I've only been able to get them from a dealer, but they said they're even having trouble getting them). I did just order 4 new rear tires, 2 for each car. The fronts are still good on both.

It would be nice if Mitsubishi could do a parts run before they end production. It sucks that a fender bender could total one of these simply due to lack of parts.

I plan on keeping mine until they no longer suit my needs or I can't justify owning a car.
 
jray3 said:
If I read phb10186 correctly, you're thinking about very long term i-MiEV ownership (breaking with your past as one who purchases cars that are 4-6 years old and keeps them for 3-6 years).

I have been around the forum for about 8 months now, but thanks for the belated welcome... yeah, i'm not super worried about things, it's more likely that ill need a larger car at some stage - but for city driving, it ticks all the right boxes... just shy of beating a London taxi on the turning circle!

Already had the dead 12v now - i jumped it, then when I realised it was toast, stuck the old battery from our Insight 2 in it, though I had to get some terminal adapters, as the Honda has the smaller terminal variant.... it's all working fine now.

Yup, simplicity certainly is good.

What you need is an international salvage club! where totaled cars get broken and shared between a user group, especially the batteries. if I ever see an LEV50 for sale, im going to buy one and keep as a spare - for insurance purposes.
 
Phximiev said:
Mitsubishi to use shared platform?

http://gas2.org/2016/12/18/shared-electric-car-platform-will-reduce-costs-nissan-renault-mitsubishi/

Ghosn's take on saving Mitsubishi: http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/channels/Renault-Nissan-Alliance-News/releases/the-case-for-reviving-mitsubishi-motors-by-carlos-ghosn

And InsideEV's report on the shared platform: http://insideevs.com/nissan-targets-17000-leaf-electric-car-will-share-platform-with-renault-mitsubishi/

Alliance to use Mitsubishi's hybrid technology? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107910_electric-car-battery-warranties-honda-clarity-fuel-cell-sales-start-mitsubishi-electric-cars-todays-car-news

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107888_mitsubishi-electric-cars-to-use-nissan-renault-platforms-report
 
Ghosn to talk today: http://insideevs.com/watch-nissan-ceo-carlos-ghosn-live-presentation-tech-advancements-4pm-pst/
 
Phximiev said:
Ghosn to talk today: http://insideevs.com/watch-nissan-ceo-carlos-ghosn-live-presentation-tech-advancements-4pm-pst/

While I have great respect for Mr. Ghosn, this was not his or the other speakers best presentation. No speaker mentioned details of the 2018 Leaf, but rather focused on their "SAM" (autonomous driving) technology.

When used, the Alliance was the Nissan-Renault Alliance, no mention of Mitsubishi or their products.

As to SAM, it appears to be way behind Tesla and includes Microsoft. I really wonder if that's a good, long term partner.
 
New i-Miev, Leaf, or i-Leaf?

http://dailysunknoxville.com/2018-nissan-leaf-so-cheap-it-really-hurts/920016762
 
Phximiev said:
Invincible?

http://jalopnik.com/soon-i-will-be-invincible-declares-nissan-renaults-car-1792127721

Still invincible after Ghosn move?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-23/nissan-savior-ghosn-hands-keys-to-new-ceo-to-focus-on-alliance
 
The i-Miev is the best value:

http://thenewswheel.com/mitsubishi-i-miev-earns-best-value-in-america-award/
 
The Kwid?

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/lXEucX98dtVX75KGV4RvrI/Renault-making-money-in-India-now-after-selling-100000-Kwid.html

Mitsubishi's future?
 
Second wind for i-Miev? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110176_nissans-plans-reignite-electric-car-sales-boost-lagging-mitsubishi

Or something new? Or nothing at all?
 
I don't think Carlos was ever a fan of the i-MiEV, so I'm not holding my breath.

I posted this comment in reply to why we haven't seen the Outlander PHEV in the US:

The excuse we've been hearing is that they can't build enough batteries to meet demand.

After their disastrous marketing failure of the i-MiEV, their dealers don't want any plug-ins on their lots. The initial batch of 2012 i-MiEVs took over a year to sell because corporate never advertised the car and nobody outside of a small group of people knew about them beforehand.

It's a shame, too. The i-MiEV is a wonderful car, with many owners having two (myself included). With a bigger battery and faster on-board charger, it could go toe to toe with the Bolt (both cars are the same size).
 
PV1, thanks for the measured response in their Comments. When I read this article yesterday, my blood boiled at the sentence "As for electric cars, could the tiny, aged, and mediocre Mitsubishi i-MiEV get a second wind thanks to Nissan’s input?" but I bit my tongue and didn't lash out.

Our i-MiEV is anything but mediocre, I prefer to use the words 'well-seasoned' instead of 'aged' :roll: , is anything but tiny inside, and best BEV value out there. Without doing anything other than a larger charger (as PV1 suggested), I wonder just how much more capacity could be crammed into the existing battery package, recognizing the improvements in the last 9 years? This would allow Mitsu/Nissan to continue the i-MiEV line with negligible additional tooling cost.

Sadly, in this day and age, substance goes unrecognized and I'm afraid it's all about 'image'
 
While I haven't yet driven a Bolt, I sat in one back in February, and based on the feel, I'm under the impression that Chevy based it off the I-MiEV. The seat height is very similar, exterior and interior dimensions are almost identical (the Bolt being a tad longer with a bit more rear storage), and both cars aren't very wide (the Bolt being a tad wider to accommodate a center console).

I'm having a hard time deciding that, if I would need to augment or replace my I-MiEVs, whether I would prefer the Bolt or the Model 3. The Bolt is very similar, but I also liked having an enclosed trunk in the Cavalier. Oh well, drifting off-topic.

I got annoyed when they said that in the article (knowing that our cars are the same size as a RAV4), but with the exception of the Volt, all plug-ins are largely unchanged from when they were released in 2011. They're all starting to show age (not that it's a bad thing). As far as possible battery capacity, the I-MiEV's battery case could easily hold 30 kWh if not more (napkin math shows 80 Ah of 18650 cells fitting easily in the same space as a single 50 Ah LEV50 cell with room left over). A 30 kWh pack would net a 105-mile EPA range, but a 40 kWh pack would net 140 miles of range. If they would re-vamp the I-MiEV, there are only 3 or 4 things I would change:

1. Larger battery pack with modern cells
2. 6.6 kW or larger on-board charger (ideally, all plug-ins should have a 10 or 20 kWh OBC to make full use of the J1772 spec).
3. Reduce the throttle ramp from 0-25 to 0-5 MPH.
4. Locking differential instead of Brake Force Distribution.
 
PV1 said:
.. If they would re-vamp the I-MiEV, there are only 3 or 4 things I would change:
1. Larger battery pack with modern cells
2. 6.6 kW or larger on-board charger (ideally, all plug-ins should have a 10 or 20 kWh OBC to make full use of the J1772 spec).
3. Reduce the throttle ramp from 0-25 to 0-5 MPH.
4. Locking differential instead of Brake Force Distribution.
Getting a tiny bit off-topic (and maybe should be moved into the Suggestions for Mitsubishi thread), I agree that throttle ramp-up should be almost instantaneous (I thought it was time dependent and not speed-dependent), but wouldn't a locking differential be deadly on ice?
 
It would certainly help when climbing my driveway in the winter. While the Brake Force Distribution works pretty well on a slick road to get going, I can't say the same for trying to climb concrete. I can usually get one side of the car on dry pavement, but I'm still stuck there spinning the wheel that's on ice. Perhaps have a button in the car that will lock the differential? Make it so that it has to be activated by the driver and automatically unlocks above 20 MPH.
 
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