Mitsubishi’s Electric Vehicle History––and Future––Will Surprise You

Japanese auto manufacturer Mitsubishi has been leading the charge to have more electric vehicles for sale for quite some time. You may not realize it, given that names like Tesla seem to dominate the news when it comes to battery-powered vehicles, but the real pioneer this whole time has been Mitsubishi. Not many people know about the exciting legacy that is Mitsubishi's EV history. The company has been quietly behind the scenes, advancing the EV cause around the world and even creating or popularizing some of the technology that other EV makers have come to use.

Many automakers are beginning to see that they will soon be left in the dust if they don’t jump on the EV train. But Mitsubishi has known that electrification is the future for a while. You likely know about the Outlander PHEV, the company’s plug-in hybrid SUV with its diverse trims, solid towing abilities, and spacious interior. However, Mitsubishi has been operating in the EV space long before the Outlander showed up and has much more up its sleeve. Here’s a look at Mitsubishi's EV history. Some of it might surprise you.

Mitsubishi Made the First Highway-Ready EV for Wide-Scale Use

Today, nearly every manufacturer has entered the race to create EVs with better freeway range than the competition. EVs have traditionally suffered from a big issue: they don’t do great at high speeds. We won’t bore you with the scientific details, but basically, electric powertrains perform better at lower speeds. It’s why EVs do terrific in cities, where all of that regenerative braking lets their batteries recharge, and the low speeds are easy on the battery. Today you’ll see more companies come out and tell you that their EV has the “best” freeway range. But Mitsubishi started it all.

In 2009, Mitsubishi released the i-MiEV, an all-electric, five-door compact hatchback that was the very first mass-produced EV capable of highway driving. It was groundbreaking stuff. Until then, the short range and slow charging speeds of EVs meant drivers needed another (read: gas engine) vehicle for those times they wanted to travel outside the city limits. Mitsubishi changed the EV landscape with its i-MiEV. By the way, i-MiEV stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, and innovative it is.

Mitsubishi also popularized the use of advanced lithium-ion batteries in the EV space. Lithium-ion batteries are revolutionary because of their lightweight construction. You see, when it comes to good EV range, the lighter the vehicle is as a whole, the better. Bringing down that battery weight has always been a struggle, and Mitsubishi showed everyone the value of the lithium-ion battery when it used them to power the i-MiEV.

Mitsubishi was also the first company to offer a vehicle with the DC fast charging system known as CHAdeMO. Today, DC fast charging infrastructure is increasingly important to EV buyers, and most people know about the Tesla Supercharger network. However, CHAdeMO was the first DC fast charging standard. It enables swift communication between the vehicle and charger for optimal charging time and supports recharging at up to 400 kW, which was a massive advancement over the AC chargers that were previously used.

Mitsubishi Is Promoting EVs All Over the World

Mitsubishi is really doing its part to get the word out about EVs around the world. It has spearheaded many projects and collaborations with international government entities and global innovators. Many of these have not received the attention they deserve, but when these cities and countries have active EV systems, you can thank Mitsubishi.

One of the first such projects was with Hydro-Quebec right here in Canada. In 2010 Mitsubishi teamed up with the utility company to help it run pilot projects and see how to best prepare Quebec and other Canadian cities for more EVs. Mitsubishi contributed 50 EVs to the project, and Hydro-Quebec tested them to see how they held up in Canada's climate with the existing infrastructure. It helped the city start planning for ways to integrate more EVs into the region, including where to install more public charging stations and how to make the installation of private chargers easier.

Then, back in 2011, Mitsubishi debuted a solar-powered charging station for EVs at its North American corporate headquarters in Cypress, California. This solar-powered station could charge up to four vehicles at once and boasted Level 1, Level 2, and CHAdeMO chargers. This groundbreaking station did two things: it showcased how easy it could be for cities to get in on an EV system and demonstrated solar power's versatility.

The innovation has been ongoing. For instance, in 2020, Mitsubishi announced its work with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to create a system by which EVs could actually power homes during blackouts and help people reduce their average power bills. Thailand is notorious for an unreliable power grid and rolling blackouts, so this would be a life-changing system for the country’s residents. Mitsubishi will be lending the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to this project.

Mitsubishi Has Been Setting And Sticking To Milestones

Mitsubishi has recently unveiled its Challenge 2025 plan to electrify more of its lineup. In the short term, the brand plans to launch four new EV models, including an electric pickup truck and an electric SUV, though it is unclear how many of them will make it to Canada. In the long term, Mitsubishi intends to have a lineup that consists entirely of EVs or hybrids by 2035. In fact, it has pledged to make half of its global sales be electrified models by 2030. It might seem ambitious, but the brand has already set and met similar milestones.

The Mighty and Progressive Mitsubishi Is Making Waves

Not everyone thinks of the Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi when they think of EVs. However, this foreign brand has been slowly but persistently moving the needle in the EV space for quite some time now. It has been the backbone and main force behind many global EV projects. When a city or entire country needs to learn how to prepare for the next generation of EV infrastructure, they turn to Mitsubishi to show them what they know. And the company has done it time and time again.

At Northside Mitsubishi, we are excited to help Edmonton drivers get to know the Mitsubishi lineup better. We carry the Outlander PHEV in all its trims and generations and would be thrilled to help you select the right one for your life around Edmonton. With so much to explore within Edmonton and beyond its borders, an EV is the perfect vehicle for getting around Alberta. Don’t let fuel prices hold you back. A more like the Outlander PHEV means more adventuring and less time at the pump.

Mitsubishi clearly has a lot in store for its EV customers, and we’re only just starting to see what it is capable of. We can’t wait to see the many EV models the brand has planned in the coming years. When they are released to the market, you can be sure we’ll start carrying them. If you’re ready to leave combustion engines in the past and switch to an EV, contact us or come by for a visit today and see why Mitsubishi should be the EV manufacturer everybody is talking about.