iMEV price drops to $20000

Post by **marcopolo** » Sat, 23 Apr 2011, 07:51

A Mitsubishi press release has announced that the US version on the Mitsubishi iMEV, (reportedly slightly large and with better road manners), will go on sale in the US for $20,000 (price includes US incentive discounts. Even so, this means than the unsubsidised price is still well under $30,000.

So why is the Australian version so expensive?

Post by **CometBoy** » Sat, 23 Apr 2011, 13:54

Details Are Here.....

Post by **juk** » Sat, 23 Apr 2011, 20:56

Everything in australia is a ripoff, why should this be any different?

The Tesla in Australia is a bargain price, and you only pay $100k tax for the purposes of subsidising V6 and V8 Holdens and Fords. It makes sense.

Post by **marcopolo** » Sat, 23 Apr 2011, 22:03

juk wrote: The Tesla in Australia is a bargain price, and you only pay $100k tax for the purposes of subsidising V6 and V8 Holdens and Fords. It makes sense.

Partly, but Tesla is also subject to the 33% Luxury Vehicle Tax. Governments have an obligation to protect local employment and industry as best they can, or what seems cheaper when you're employed, becomes prohibitively expensive when unemployed. Difficult equation to get right?

Whether the Tesla Roadster at over $100k pre-tax is a bargain, is a matter of opinion.

Post by **a4x4kiwi** » Sat, 23 Apr 2011, 22:38

As far as I know the iMiEV is not available here yet but lets hope that when it is it will be competitive to the unsubsidised US price.

It has only been available to selected government and corporates.

Post by **marcopolo** » Sun, 24 Apr 2011, 01:49

a4x4kiwi wrote: As far as I know the iMiEV is not available here yet but lets hope that when it is it will be competitive to the unsubsidised US price.

The iMev imported from Japan to Australia is a higher spec vehicle than the US. The equivalent US price would be around $37,000 without subsidies. If you add Australian taxes,import duties and dealer delivery amortisation, the iMev will retail in the $48-53,000 price bracket. Even at $37000 there would be few buyers. Even fewer, at $48-52,000 in comparison to the larger, better looking Leaf which boasts twice the range, sold at approximately $38,000.

GM says it will manufacture the Volt (hopefully the better looking ampera version) in Australia. Gm hopes to achieve a retail price under $42,000. The Volt is easily the best of the three, bigger, better equipped and is a REEV, (which will horrify the purists), but is more practical in Australia.

The Lexus CT200h has a plug-in version on the drawing board to compete with the Buick version of the Volt.

We live in interesting times!

Post by **coulomb** » Sun, 24 Apr 2011, 17:37

marcopolo wrote: The iMiev imported from Japan to Australia is a higher spec vehicle than the US.

Gee. The US base version must be really basic. The one I saw here seemed very plain and flimsy. It's not the sort of thing I'd be willing to pay $50K for.

Post by **marcopolo** » Sun, 24 Apr 2011, 19:17

coulomb wrote: Gee. The US base version must be really basic. The one I saw here seemed very plain and flimsy. It's not the sort of thing I'd be willing to pay $50K for.

Yeah, although the US version is said to be wider. However our ADR's require more safety features and an upgraded suspension. Australia tends to import only upmarket, not basic versions of vehicles.

I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity of comparing the Blade and iMev side by side. (drove both). As an Australian, I am proud to say, that the Blade is by far the superior vehicle. Of course the Leaf and the Volt are also superior. But It makes me angry to see Australian government and municipalities select the iMev in preference to the local product.

Post by **photomac** » Tue, 07 Jun 2011, 00:09

Makes the Blade series good value!! $32k to $48k. The cheaper being a battery lease arrangement. Note the new DG range too. If the Nissan LEAF is $45k (comparable to English, Portuguese, netherlands and USA pricing) then we have a ball game!!!

Website · Post by **Simon** » Thu, 18 Aug 2011, 03:17

Noticed the other day that Mitsubishi feature an iMiEV in their latest advertisement.

Post by **Richo** » Fri, 19 Aug 2011, 20:51

On a roof top with a large exclusion zone for charging just in case...

Post by **rhills** » Fri, 26 Aug 2011, 04:52

After registering online my interest in the iMiEV near enough to 2 years ago, I've just had an email and a couple of phone calls from Mitsubishi about the car. Apparently the Osborne Park MMC dealer here in WA will be handling local enquiries and is due to get a demonstrator early next month.

In response to an emailed list of questions that I sent off this morning, I was told by phone that:

Aust will get the European version of the car, not the slightly bigger US version;
The car will be available for outright sale;
RRP in Perth will be around $49K;

In response to my pointing out the price of the car in the US, the MMC rep agreed that shipping and taxes weren't significantly different compared with the US. However, he says that MMC have to recoup Aust Development costs (for ADR compliance) of $750K and they only expect to be able to sell 300 iMiEVs a year.

The classic catch-22. They don't expect to sell many so the fixed costs are amortised over a relatively small number of units, pushing the price sky high, thus ensuring that pessimistic sales forecasts are fulfilled.

For the cashed-up EV enthusiast whose purchase decision is driven by more than just economics, do you jump in early hoping to be able to convince non-enthusiasts to follow? If you do and you succeed, you then get to watch the price tumble as volumes climb

. If you don't, hardly anyone buys the car and the punters say "See, I told you EVs just aren't practical".

Meanwhile, we squabble amongst ourselves about whether we should be buying a Blade or an iMiEV or a Leaf.

ARRGGHHH, my head hurts!

Post by **evric** » Fri, 26 Aug 2011, 14:10

I understand Mitsubishi are bringing in about 5 i-MiEV's a month into Australia !
Wait for the Nissan Leaf - April next year (that's the latest)

Post by **antiscab** » Sat, 27 Aug 2011, 21:33

750k amortised over 300 units is only 2.5k per unit, I wonder what the rest of the mark up is for.....