Langkawi seduces, not for the first time. Peering out from MH1438’s window, the cluster of 99 islands in the blue sea that make up Langkawi immediately calms the mind, and brings a smile. And when the Four Seasons Resort is your home away from home, you’ll want to stay for awhile. But we got work to do, so time to get down and dirty.
Or not, because the car we’re here to drive is as clean as they come. Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, which in October last year became the first to register a full electric vehicle in Malaysia, is launching its Eco-Tourism Pilot Demonstration Program, starring the i-MiEV.
If you don’t already know, the i-MiEV is based on MMC’s i minicar, but there’s no internal combustion engine and no need to refuel, because it’s 100% battery powered and rechargeable. Zero tailpipe emissions, too.
And it’s no fancy concept either – the i-MiEV is a production car already on sale elsewhere, and hopefully one day, Malaysia. It was first sold domestically in 2009, before European sales started in 2010. The little car was launched in North America late last year.
Here’s how the program works. MMM is loaning one unit of the i-MiEV to Four Seasons Langkawi, where guests of the five-star resort can use around the island, for free. No money required, just feedback.
This will go on for two months from 23 February. The stated mission is to gain better understanding of customer behaviour and expectations from an EV. There’s some prestige to be had for both parties too, in my opinion, since everyone is flashing their eco credentials these days.
“Fundamentally, eco tourism means making as little environmental impact as possible and encouraging the preservation of environment when visiting a place. 100% electric with zero emissions, yet offering surprising power and a smooth quiet ride, the i-MiEV is the greenest way to drive in Langkawi,” Tetsuya Oda, CEO of MMM proclaimed.
“This fits perfectly into our philosophy of engaging in sustainable practices that conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact,” Philippe Larrieu, Four Seasons Langkawi Resort Manager chipped in.
We understand that after its stint at Four Seasons, WVY 159 will continue to serve Langkawi at another location. By the way, MMM, as pioneer, went through nearly one year of working with various authorities to help chart a new course in a system where tax is charged according to engine cubic capacity (the i-MiEV has none, remember), among other obstacles.
And of course, there’s the usual process of getting type approval etc. If you’re wondering, road tax for the i-MiEV is RM10 per year, after a 50% EV discount. Not sure how they arrived there, though. Notice the road tax sticker says “49000 W” in place of where the engine cubic capacity normally as – it reflects the i-MiEV’s 49kW motor power.
At the event, we also learnt something new from Takayuki Yatabe of MMC’s EV Business Promotion Department. In a “did you know” moment, the Tokyo based exec shared that the i-MiEV is great as an emergency power source, since its lithium ion battery pack stores the equivalent of one and a half days of the electricity used by a typical Japanese household.
He added that MMC is developing tech that will allow i-MiEVs to supply up to 1,500 watts of electricity to power electric jugs, rice cookers, hair dryers, and other small but vital appliances. Not so useful here perhaps, but Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes, which could knock out electricity supply. In fact, 60 units of the i-MiEV were used for relief purposes in the earthquake/tsunami disaster last year, when gasoline supply dried up.
After all that, I hopped into the car for a spin round the block. Having driven various EVs before, including a pre-production i-MiEV, the stint wasn’t as eye opening as it could be, but it’s still a stark contrast from regular motoring. For one, you twist the key (same design as other Mitsus) but there’s no resulting sound or vibration, only a signal from the instrument cluster that the i-MiEV is ready to roll. Step on it and it glides off with a synthesised whirr.
Yes, the sound on take off and low speeds is manufactured and comes out from a speaker. This is for safety purposes, in case pedestrians can’t hear an EV coming. Apparently, the sound has been agreed upon by all carmakers, sort of like an “official EV noise” if there’s such a thing. Sounds very natural, and I wouldn’t have noticed if they didn’t say, honestly.
Keep your foot on the gas and the ample torque (180 Nm from rest) gets you to highway speeds in a blink. It’s like a powerful regular car, just without the engine/exhaust note we’re accustomed to. The rate of acceleration tapers off once you’re cruising along, but one’s not meant to race around in this anyway. Instead, keeping an eye on the Charge/Eco/Power bar becomes second nature. Lower is better, battery lasts longer.
Everything else feels regular, except that tyre roar becomes so much more apparent when it’s the only noise you hear. The steering felt a little heavy for me, although there’s no big issue with the regenerative brakes (some early hybrids with these brakes had odd pedal feel).
The i-MiEV is a great runabout, and I can see myself driving it everyday without compromise. Measured by the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) the car is capable of 150 km on a full charge. Even if we take 100 km as a realistic figure, many daily routines will be covered, and charging can be done overnight (eight hours at 230 volts). Can’t be that cumbersome, since some people charge their smartphones more often than that!
The only thing stopping MMM is cost. EVs and their batteries are currently expensive to make, and it will be uncompetitive without government incentives in the form of rebates and subsidies. If you’re wondering how long the batteries in the i-MiEV will last – Mitsubishi estimates about 70% capacity by the end of 10 years.
To give you an idea, the Japanese government gives a subsidy of 50% of the difference in price between EV and regular model. For instance, if a 660cc Mitsubishi i is RM100k and the i-MiEV’s natural price is RM200k, the subsidy will be worth RM50k. Currently, the G model i-MiEV is priced at JPY 3.8 million (RM145,017), but after subsidy, the price becomes JPY 2.84 million, or RM108,381. In the US, the i-MiEV is priced around $29k after rebate.
Norway is a great example of how popular an EV can be with support. Tax and VAT exempt, the i-MiEV also pays zero toll and can use bus lanes, making it the best selling A-segment vehicle in the country. Is the future electric? It’s all about the money, at the end of the day.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
It is NOT “ALL ABOUT MONEY”!!!
It is your son, grandson’s future!
And as a young folks of you just think all about MONEY, the Green Energy initiatives does not make a single sense to you either.
So in other words you’d pay RM 150k for this? Anyway, back to the car; if we’re really serious about the EV thing here, we need to start right now. Currently, we lack stuff like charging stations at convenient places. Personally, I think hydrogen fuel is our best bet.
But the problem is most of hydrogen fuel production come from crude oil not what we all expected from air and water…the process converting water and taking hydrogen from air are to costly currently…im only thinking salt water engine, by theory possible but in reallity quit impossible with current tech
I think there was once this company that built several hydrogen fuel stations by an interstate as a beta. Water + solar panels –electrolysis–> Hydrogen + Oxygen. Of course, they would need to compress the hydrogen gas at high pressure for use as fuel. The tech’s pretty crude right now but I’d like to think it could really take off if it were a little more popular. EV’s all the rage these days. I wonder what happened to that company… Also, there’s another private company in France making cars that run on compressed air. Body shell is all plastic to reduce weight. Pop in an air compressor and you have infinite energy! Lol.
I know what’s best , stop driving and start cycling xD summore can keep the human population staying fit.!
i dont think malaysian roads r safe for cyclists. remember, dulu ada hit n run case..?
pure gimmick by mitsubishi. EVs are only as clean as the electrircity supply it gets to charge from. should not have launch it at an off grid island where the power plant is fossil fuel and less efficient. should promote EV on the grid connected mainland where a portion of non co2 emmitting hydro as well as very efficient CCGT power plants is in the generation mix.
off grid island? are you saying langkawi is not connected to the grid? and is powered by a single plant?
um, no. nice try to sound smart though.
Manufacturers should stop making fuel efficient cars plain or ugly.. I like your Evo’s design, just put the same drive train into it. OK?
it will take another 10 years for EV to be viable unless governments around the world provide incentives like what Norway does.
even in Japan where cars are cheap….this small car still cost RM150K with just plain conversion…..thats ouch.
i want to rent this car when i’m on vacation to Langkawi..
it’s only RM10 for a year’s roadtax? so good + sooo save…
Currently, the G model i-MiEV is priced at JPY 3.8 million (RM145,017), but after subsidy, the price becomes JPY 2.84 million, or RM108,381. In the US, the i-MiEV is priced around $29k after rebate.
this car is still very expensive after rebate. RM 108k, doesn’t matter how cheap the roadtax. the insurance still base on the car price.
I only can reply ‘Meh !’
Excellent city car. But for city runabout car only… Maybe can design cuter look like Jazz or Smart or Aston Martin.
I’m a petrol-head and I hate all electric cars!!!
keep on hating, and drive nothing after the fuel is gone.
yes I wi.. and the fuel is not going to be gone in my lifetime.
Petrolhead,huh?
I think you don’t even use V-power Racing everyday.
And I if you’re living in Europe,I bet you’ll convert to dieselhead.
Bonehead?
call it what ever you like! Just inhale my exhaust fume when I overtake you :)
No problem there to change to diesel… as long as its not the whining electric motor as a sorry excuse for an engine!
U said so coz u never drive an EV before, max torque of 180Nm from the BEGINNING!!! immediate torque, that’s why every car maker is going EV, Porsche is putting an electric motor in its coming 918 Spyder! u smell the ash of EV first before u inhale any one.
Think about your children when the petrol or diesel is no longer exist!
It’s very expensive already even in Japan
Thanks for the coverage. This is the first close up experience for Kampung mari people like me on electric cars !
I am just curious on how much power is consumed when charging EV cars from our current electric point.
Can anyone calculate how much it cost to fully charge an EV (8 hours) a day based on our electric costs?
Calculated already.
Full battery ratings is @ 16KwH. To fully charge, it only costs RM3.29…
Based on www.tnb.com.my/residential/billing/bill-calculator.
full charge takes 8 hours. So it is 3.29 x 8 = RM 26,32 for 150km
It can’t be that expensive right? I think it takes 8 hours to fully charge a 16KwH battery which means it only cost RM3.29 per full charge?
Can someone clarify this?
I believe3.29 is right. Electric capacity is just like tank capacity. Imagine the tank capacity is 16l, it just takes 8 hr to transfer the 16l from TNB to the car but it is still 16l in the end.
No man, I think 1 full charge is RM3.29 which takes 8 hours, and you get around 12.5% of charge every hour. If you don’t have enough time a few hours should be enough for the day.
So if you fully charge it 4 times a month, the cost is 4 X 3.29 = RM13.16
If you fully charge it 8 times a month then it’s 8 X 3.29 = RM26.32
………………….which is dam cheap to run, it’s already less than a full tank of RON95 unleaded petrol of RM60-70……………….
I think electric cars are almost maintenance free…
Act smart…
i-MiEV………………!!!
Hope that Msia will be the first country to initiate
the assembly of EV/Hybrid and Diesel tech in the world
since we are so obsessed with the longest , tallest etc etc
MITI this is your chance to make a headstart as compared to
other countries in this region.
Review the NAP and Msia will see tremendous growth
and potential in this sector !!
Ya man we want locally assembled cheaper Hybrids, EVs, turbo-diesels, diesel Hybrids etc………………….!!!
Luv to have one as family 2nd car…Im sure to drive this to office and save lots of many on petrol (hours on kl heavy jam) and maybe on the maintenance..(this need some feedback)..and if gov is giving some incentive ie free paking. dont mind paying for price of a RM80+k petrol car..(this is a small car to pay higher then that)
I think the real issues with EVs are their sustainability socially and economically. Social sustainability is about meeting people’s needs. EVs are not as fast as petrol cars. They have a short range before their batteries need to be re-charged which takes time. (8 hours in this case!!).
Practically, EVs can only be used for short journeys inside cities. Petrol cars are faster, easier to re-fuel and generally a lot cheaper than EVs thus the current technology means that electric cars are not popular. Car companies cannot afford to make a lot of them if they will not sell.
Another important fact is the world economy is basically “controlled” by huge oil companies, and guess whose their number 1 customer is? You.
There is a company call “Better Place” from US is trying to solve the “range” problem by constructing charging network in some country like Denmark & Australia.
They sell cars from Renault (as a dealer) and provide the service with their charging infrastructure. They even have “Switching Station”, which can switch the battery of the EV when it is driving for long range. Of course, the car they sell has a “switchable” battery in it.
They sell the car with the mobile phone business model, which makes an EV more affordable to the public. Since buyer will not own the EV battery, it cost a lot cheaper. Car owner pay for “mileage” they drive just like we pay telco monthly subscription fee + usage.
I think this can make EV adoption faster.
The problem is not about money, I am willing to fork out 150k for this. however, I cannot use this car as my daily transportation as its range is limited to 150km. Just go to and fro for work is fine but sometime you also want to have some outstation meeting and go for makan; with my current car I can hop into any fuel station and in about 5minutes I am good again for another 300km. Here if my battery need charging it will be an 8 hour wait….
What I really want is a car that can be used as my daily transportation as what I have now. Then the money spent is immaterial.
There is a quick charging station in other countries, it take 30mins to full charge 80% (have my juice reserve at 20% should be fine)
so i think if they ever bring in this quick charging station, its gonna be very interesting!
wattage x hours used ÷ 1000 x price per kWh = cost of electricity
1500 x 8 /1000 x 45.3cent = rm 5.436 for 150 km
There’s a documentary called “Revenge of the electric cars” (or something like that) which tells about how there’s a sudden surge in demand (not much, I would say) for electric cars. Tesla cars made electric cars sexy but they nearly go bankrupt. I think they are still not making profit.
GM got into trouble (while the CEO lived on a piece of land as big as a Putrajaya), bailed out by Obama, built electric cars (Volt) because Tesla put them to shame (sort of). Nissan built Leaf. Very little about Prius though…
Interestingly, GM and Nissan go electrics not because that’s what profitable, but because they think that’s the future. They want to be known as companies that care for the future. They used to say it can’t be done (not practical etc) but Tesla showed that it can be done.
But, electric cars still expensive to make. Expensive to sell/buy. They get around it with government’s subsidies. Yes, it’s “ALL ABOUT THE MONEY”.
In future, when oil become too expensive, and electric cars are produced in much bigger volume…. than maybe it has a good chance.
:mrgreen:
there is also the new ford ev like the volt.
this car gets 150 km for rm5.40
but prius C claims 40km for 1 liter…thus, rm 7.125 for 150km…
but its quite expensive for me though…
Latest developments of improving energy density in battery (energy packed per gram) for better longer travel range:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328466.200-air-battery-to-let-electric-cars-outlast-gas-guzzlers.html
http://news.yahoo.com/energy-dense-battery-could-enable-long-distance-electric-230100576.html
Also another news on faster battery recharge process (few minutes just like petrol refuel):
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/02/29/eos-energy-storage-pitches-refillable-electric-vehicle-battery/
Soon these batteries will have further range around 450km – 800km per single charge alone. Coupled with normal engine then probably a hybrid car can run well above 1,500km or more on a single tank of fuel and quick recharge. This will make fully-electric (with quick-recharge) car handled just like normal petrol car (minus all cost for the mechanical parts servicing, repairs, maintenance etc).
Take note that the above still under research but such a shame not a single country/corporate firm willing to throw good money few billions (unlike our Bolehland happy wastage for rasuah craps expenses) once and for all to finish it quickly.
Finally, how about driving a solar-powered car (installing solar roof)? For 50 years driving it costs much lower than driving petrol car:
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/02/07/infographic-a-lifetime-of-fuel-costs-gas-vs-solar/
Whenever I look at electric cars such as this, the comic feeling rises up as though I’m watching Mr Bean’s car. Bring it here; we do need to laugh here and then while driving.
If malaysia gov dont fully support EV car, i mean give incentive or subsidi, the price will range between 150k to 200k.. My opinion, Malaysia infrustructure still 10 years behind compare to Norway or Japan or any other country that give full support for EV.
err…. road tax only rm10? my bike baru rm2