Mitsubishi to release compact ‘Minicab EV’ transporter van in Japan

Mitsubishi Motors has announced that the new Minicab EV, a 'kei-car' class electric commercial vehicle with a monobox design, will hit the market in Japan on December 21. (UPDATE)

The Minicab EV two-seater is priced at 2,431,000 yen (approx. €14,922), and the four-seater is priced at 2,486,000 yen (approx. €15,260, which includes a 10 per cent consumption tax. The new Minicab EV is based on the Minicab-MiEV, which has sold approximately 13,000 units over the past 12 years.

According to Mitsubishi, the ‘kei-car’ class electric commercial vehicle, which is the name of the category for Japan’s smallest highway-legal passenger vehicle class, including restricted dimensions and motor capacity, is based on a monobox design and is equipped with a new generation of electric components including the motor and drive battery. The new electric motor produces a maximum torque of 195 Nm.

The cruising range stands at 180 km, according to WLTC, marking an increase of 35 per cent compared to the previous model. Charging the 20 kWh battery at a 200V AC charger takes about 7.5 hours to fully charge. On a faster charger, up to 80 per cent of the battery can be charged in approximately 42 minutes, however, the exact charge capacity was not mentioned.

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 02 min — Image: Mitsubishi

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 03 min — Image: Mitsubishi

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 04 min — Image: Mitsubishi

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 05 min — Image: Mitsubishi

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 06 min — Image: Mitsubishi

mitsubishi minicab ev japan 2023 07 min — Image: Mitsubishi

Compared to the previous model, the capacity of the drive battery has increased by 25 per cent. The motor and inverter have been integrated into a single unit to improve motor efficiency, resulting in the above-mentioned range of 180 km per charge, which is a 35 per cent increase over the previous model.

Update 19 December 2023

Mitsubishi Motors has officially started production of the new Minicab EV at its factory in Indonesia, the first local production of the vehicle outside of Japan. It will go on sale in Indonesia as the L100 EV in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.

“In 2017, MMKI began production of the Xpander, which is now not only sold domestically in Indonesia, but also exported to support the development of the Indonesian auto industry,” said Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer, Mitsubishi Motors. “With the start of our first production of EVs overseas, we hope to meet the growing demand for EVs in the ASEAN region and at the same time contribute to the country’s environmental initiatives.”

mitsubishi-motors.com, mitsubishi-motors.com (update)