At the just concluded Mitsubishi Motors press conference at Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2023, where the carmaker gave the new XForce SUV its global debut, MMC president and CEO Takao Kato announced something big – Mitsubishi will CKD locally assemble electric vehicles (EVs) in Indonesia, and it’s happening in the very near future.
At GIIAS 2023, Mitsubishi is displaying two EVs – the Minicab MiEV and the eK X EV. While both are kei cars, the Minicab MiEV is a commercial vehicle while the eK X EV is a passenger car, and both are electric versions of the original ICE-powered models. The eK X, together with its twin Nissan Sakura, is the reigning 2022/23 Japan Car of the Year. It’s the first time that this car is being shown outside of Japan.
Kato said that MMC is currently conducting a pilot study of the Minicab MiEV and local production of the little van will begin at the Bekasi plant within the company’s current fiscal year. As for the eK X EV (X is pronounced as ‘cross’), a local launch and local production is on the cards.
“We will hold acceptability research and get customer feedback as we work towards the widespread use of EVs in Indonesia,” Kato said.
The eK X EV has an underfloor 20 kWh lithium-ion battery that provides up to 180 km of range in the WLTC mode. The battery powers an e-motor with 64 PS/195 Nm, which falls within kei car limits. It takes eight hours to fully recharge the battery via AC, or about 40 minutes to get to 80% with 30 kW DC input. It has vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functions, which can be very useful in disaster situations.
The older Minicab MiEV uses a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery that provides a WLTC range of 133 km. The e-motor is rated at 41 PS/196 Nm. Not a lot of range, so the electric van is good for inner city delivery use. What do you think of these little electric kei cars, especially the cool-looking eK X EV?
GALLERY: Mitsubishi eK X EV at GIIAS 2023
GALLERY: Mitsubishi Minicab MiEV at GIIAS 2023
GALLERY: Mitsubishi eK X EV official images
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Perfect grab car as it got vehicle to load function. Plus front seat can be made to face rearwards due to vertical front windscreen.
Plus it will be a hit if it’s priced affordably as second car or in urban areas. Especially now when imported EV’s are tax free.
Nothing can be priced below rm100k in Malaysia. Thank you gomen. Dream on people.
Mitsubishi Delica K-series seems to tone down… wonder if ever release
Check out AVEVAI IONA S and Alfie cool kei cars for commercial and passenger