About 90% of these new arrivals will ride on five common EV architectures and will be sold in the vast majority of countries around the world. The most affordable ones will sit on the CMF-AEV platform, which is already in use for the Dacia Spring – Europe’s cheapest electric car on sale today.

Even smaller EVs are planned on KEI-EV underpinnings developed for kei cars sold in Japan. The platform will be inaugurated in the coming months by Mitsubishi and Nissan with their “ultra-compact” models for the local market.

Up next is the LCV-EV platform, which as its name implies, it’s tailored to light commercial vehicles such as the already available Nissan Town Star and the Renault Kangoo.

The Renault Megane E-Tech Electric and Nissan Ariya share the CMF-EV architecture, which will be used by 15 models by 2030. The alliance estimates it will be able to build as many as 1.5 million cars each year on this platform.

Then there’s CMF-BEV, set to arrive in 2024 as “the most competitive compact electric platform in the world.” Cars using this hardware will offer more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) of range combined with superior aerodynamics and performance. At the same time, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi mentions costs will come down by a third and the necessary power consumption will be reduced by more than 10% compared to the Renault Zoe.

CMF-BEV will underpin the revival of the Renault 5 as well as a new zero-emissions Nissan model to replace the Micra supermini. There will also be Alpine-branded vehicles on this platform, which the alliance says will serve as a foundation for an annual car production of 250,000 units.

Aside from rolling out new EVs, the three are working with battery suppliers to halve costs by 2026, rising to 65% by 2028. By the end of the decade, a total battery production capacity of 220 GWh is expected. Interestingly, mass production of solid-state batteries is scheduled to commence by the middle of 2028.

Source: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi

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It is believed more than 30 vehicles are slated to arrive by the end of the decade. The alliance is apparently working on five different platforms that will underpin this new wave of new EVs. One of them is already in use as the CMF-EV has underpinned the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric and the Nissan Ariya crossovers pictured here. In addition, another architecture already underpins the Dacia Spring for low-cost electric city cars.

Reuters goes on to mention that a separate platform will be used for kei cars in Japan where Mitsubishi will begin to sell later this year a production version of the K-EV concept X Style. Also coming in 2022 will be a mechanically related Nissan IMk. Light commercial vehicles are getting their own dedicated electric platform, with the fifth and final one arriving by 2025 for smaller cars.

New EVs will include the revival of the Renault 4 and 5, along with the next-generation Nissan Micra supermini, which will all likely sit on that fifth common platform. To drive down manufacturing costs and speed up development, the three automakers are expected to share the batteries packs as well as many of the other components. In addition, there are plans to boost battery production by 2030 to 220 GWh in Japan, China, France, and the United Kingdom.

Rumored to go by the name of “Alliance to 2030,” it is believed the plan will be officially presented this Thursday, January 27.

Source: Reuters (subscription required) via Automotive News Europe

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It wears a two-tone body by combining a predominantly solid matte blue with a copper roof “reminiscing the motor winding of an EV,” according to the Japanese automaker. Various “X” elements are noticeable, along with a raised ride height as a nod to kei wagons sold in the Land of the Rising Sun. Even though it’s officially labeled as a concept, the quirky little EV is officially confirmed to go on sale in Japan in the early fiscal year 2022, which will start in April 2022 and end in March 2023.

Technical specifications are shrouded in mystery for the time being, but we do know Nissan’s version will be 3,395 mm (133.6 in) long, 1,475 mm (58 in) wide, and 1,655 mm (65.1 in) tall. Given the petite size, the electric kei cars will understandably have a small battery pack with a nominal capacity of just 20 kWh “to cover daily needs in Japan.” Nothing is official at this point, but rumors state it’ll have a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers) based on the local test cycle.

The two models will stem from a 50/50 joint venture formed by Mitsubishi and Nissan, officially known as “NMKV.” Taking into consideration local EV incentives, Nissan said in August 2021 that its own version would cost approximately two million yen or about $17,300 at current exchange rates. If you’re eager to buy a cheap electric car, Nissan has promised to have it on sale in early FY2022, which begins this April, or the same timeframe provided by Mitsu for its electric kei car.

Source: Mitsubishi

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While the adjacent teaser image is not what we’d called revealing, we do have an idea about the pint-sized EV’s dimensions since it will have to meet kei car regulations. These state a car mustn’t exceed 3.4 meters in length, 1.48 meters in width, and two meters in height. In addition, the vehicle must have a maximum of 63 horsepower.

Nissan teased its equivalent electric kei car a couple of years ago by showcasing the IMk concept. Even though the two will be mechanically related, Mitsubishi’s version should look significantly different to give the electric car its own visual identity. Although Mitsubishi labels the EV as a concept, we aren’t expecting any major changes from the production-ready model.

Rumors say the kei cars will do 200 kilometers (124 miles) at most before having to recharge what will certainly be a small battery pack given the ultra-compact dimensions. As to why Nissan and Mitsubishi are targeting the kei car segment, it’s extremely popular in Japan thanks to lower costs in terms of taxes, parking, and the vehicle’s asking price.

Both EVs will be assembled at the Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki city, Okayama Prefecture. To prepare the factory for the two electric kei cars, an investment worth the equivalent of $70 million is being made to install the necessary assembly and inspection equipment for the drive battery. In addition, some of the funds are for the stamping, welding, and painting assembly facilities after a previous decision was taken to produce the drive battery cases in-house.

The electric minicars are believed to cost less than two million yen (about $17,600) after EV incentives, but these could be even cheaper in some parts of Japan such as Tokyo where the subsidies are higher.

Source: Mitsubishi

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Power is provided by a front-mounted electric motor good for 181 hp (135 kW) in a vehicle that weighs just under 4,200 lbs (1,900 kg) and carries around a battery pack with a capacity of 69.9 kWh. Mitsubishi mentions that the Airtrek can cover up to 323 miles (520 km) between charges, but we should point out this number is based on the China light-duty vehicle test cycle (CLTC).

It certainly doesn’t look like your typical compact crossover, be it electric- or gasoline-powered, featuring an unusual split headlight design to echo recent models launched by the Japanese brand. Even though it doesn’t need a front grille to cool down a combustion engine, it does have one, adorned with a plethora of hexagonal elements while carrying the front-mounted camera just below the corporate badge.

Being an official press image, the 2022 Airtrek is shown in its top specification with a two-tone look by combining the predominantly white body with a black roof for a contrasting effect. It’s the same story with the two-tone alloy wheels, while the door handles remain flush with the body to give the side profile a sleeker look and improve the crossover’s aerodynamic efficiency.

The interior is rather minimalist with few conventional controls since most of the Airtrek’s functions are accessible through the large infotainment display, complemented by an all-digital instrument cluster. The latter not only shows the navigation map, but it also features augmented reality technology as you’ll find in a luxury car such as the latest Mercedes EQS fullsize electric sedan.

Following today’s debut at the Auto Guangzhou 2021, the Mitsubishi Airtrek will go on sale locally next year and we wouldn’t get our hopes up as far as seeing it outside China.

Source: Mitsubishi

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The new plug-in hybrid Outlander will use a battery pack with a capacity of 20 kWh, which Mitsubishi says has enough juice for 87 kilometers (54 miles) of range based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Test Cycle (WLTC). Curiously, the Japanese automaker still isn’t willing to talk about the horsepower and torque figures, only saying the output of the front and rear electric motors has increased by approximately 40%.

Based on the latest-generation Nissan Rouge, the new Outlander PHEV comes with a larger gasoline tank to expand the driving range when combining hybrid and electric modes. As with many electrified vehicles, the revamped SUV can be driven by only using the accelerator pedal as Mitsubishi’s engineers have added a pedal operation mode that brakes the car after taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.

Another novelty brought by the latest generation is an evolution of the company’s proprietary Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) by adding brake Active Yaw Control (AYC) for the rear wheels. The technology improves handling and stability courtesy of torque vectoring for controlling the brakes on the left and right wheels of the rear axle. In addition, the power delivery between the front and rear wheels is now done in a more optimal way.

Regarding its market launch, the plan is to have the Outlander PHEV on sale in Japan from December 16, with Australia and New Zealand to follow in the first half of next year while the United States will get the vehicle in the latter half of 2022 where it’ll likely be available as a 2023MY.

Source: Mitsubishi

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Ahead of its October 28 world premiere, the plug-in hybrid model reveals its exterior and interior design in full to ease the wait. Unsurprisingly, it looks a lot like the conventional gasoline-powered model, save for a black roof and a fuel cap on the left side where the charging port is located. The Japanese marque says it will offer the electrified SUV with a choice of 10 colors, including a newly added Black Diamond hue.

Unlike the model it’s about to replace, the revamped Outlander PHEV will offer a three-row seating as Mitsubishi’s engineers have worked out the issues with packaging over its two-row-only predecessor. If rumors from Japan are to be believed, the automaker’s in-house tuning division, Ralliart, is allegedly being revived and the first model to get the sporty treatment could very well be the electrified SUV. Not only that, the spicy derivative might even bring back the beloved Evolution designation.

With Mitsu being tight-lipped about the technical specifications, we’ll remind you the 2021 Outlander PHEV was upgraded with a larger battery (from 12 kWh to 13.8 kWh), which increased the EV range to 39 kilometers (24 miles). In addition, the top speed in electric mode was bumped to 134 km/h (83 mph). The new-generation model could have a significantly different powertrain considering the latest Outlander is actually based on a Nissan Rogue.

After it debuts towards the end of this month, the new Outlander PHEV is slated to go on sale at home in Japan around mid-December. Customers from the United States will have to wait until the second half of 2022 to get behind the wheel of the new plug-in hybrid model.

Source: Mitsubishi

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Meanwhile, two teaser images announce the 2023 Outlander PHEV will come with a bigger battery resulting in greater range along with more power for improved performance. Interestingly, the transition to the next generation will bring three-row seating for the electrified variant, unlike the current PHEV available exclusively with only five seats.

We’re expecting the revamped model to be mechanically related to the latest Nissan Rogue seeing as how the regular Outlander borrows quite a few components from it. No firm details have been released regarding the powertrain, but it’s worth pointing out the PHEV version recently switched from a 2.0-liter gasoline engine to a bigger 2.4-liter unit. That bumped output from the previous 117 hp (87 kW) and 186 Nm (137 lb-ft) to 126 hp (94 kW) and 201 Nm (148 lb-ft).

The latest update for the current Outlander PHEV also brought a beefier rear-mounted electric motor with 94 hp (70 kW) instead of the previous 80.5 hp (60 kW). Changing the internal combustion engine and upgrading the e-motor has allowed Mitsubishi to increase the plug-in hybrid powertrain’s combined output to 221 hp (165 kW).

It should be mentioned the Outlander PHEV on sale today relies on a slightly bigger battery pack than before, bumped from 12 kWh to 13.8 kWh. This translates into a slightly longer purely electric range of 24 miles (39 kilometers). Not only that, but the maximum speed available in EV mode has increased to 83 mph (134 km/h).

We’re expecting its replacement to improve all these numbers and offer greater practicality thanks to the confirmed three-row seating. Mitsubishi will have it on sale in its domestic market Japan at some during the current fiscal year (ending in March 2022) prior to launching the Outlander PHEV in North America during the latter half of next year.

Source: Mitsubishi

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Factoring in Japan’s nation-wide incentives for EVs, the diminutive hatchback is going to cost less than two million yen or approximately $18,350 at current exchange rates. Extra local incentives – like the ones applicable in the country’s capital Tokyo – could drive down the price tag to around 1.5 million yen ($13,700). If that’s going to be the case, the production-ready IMk will cost about as much as a conventionally powered gasoline car.

To get an idea about the car’s size, the concept before it was 3,434 millimeters (135.2 inches) long, 1,512 mm (59.5 in) wide, and 1,644 mm (64.7 in) tall. It was actually a bit longer and wider than the requirements to qualify as a kei car – a maximum length of 3,400 mm (133.8 in) and a maximum width of 1,480 mm (58.2 in). That can only mean the road-going model will be even smaller than the IMk.

In order to keep costs low, the two Japanese automakers are unlikely to install a big battery pack. Consequently, it means owners won’t be able to cover extended distances before recharging. Nikkei Asia reports the IMk will have a maximum range of approximately 124 miles (200 kilometers).

It’s not going to be Mitsubishi’s first electric kei car as that role was attributed to the i-MiEV back in 2009. Why are the two local brands prioritizing the launch of such a small car? Because this is what about 40 percent of new car owners are buying these days in Japan, so it makes sense to launch an IMk-like urban commuter. As with all kei cars, it will have a limited top speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) or less.

The European market – let alone North America – doesn’t have electric cars this small as models such as the Volkswagen e-up!, Skoda Citigo-e iV, and SEAT Mii Electric are all roughly 150 mm (5.9 in) longer and 160 mm (6.3 in) wider than Japan’s kei cars. The even smaller Smart EQ ForTwo also doesn’t qualify as a kei car because even though it’s only 2,695 mm (106.1 in) long, it’s too wide and tall.

Source: Nikkei Asia

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