So now the near-midsize Leaf is cheaper and more efficient than the sub-mini i-MiEV? This is great news for EV fans, not so great for Mitsubishi. I'm afraid our "little engine that could" is being outspent and outclassed by a larger, richer, more committed rival. If Nissan can address their battery thermal management issues to put an end to hot climate horror stories, and perhaps improve the performance of their RR meter, Mitsubishi won't have even a marginal case to make in support of the i-MiEV. I really hope we're going to see a 2013 model, and I really hope it will be cheaper, but the price hike in Canada does not bode well.
Looking back, I think 2012 has to be viewed as an opportunity that Mitsubishi squandered while it still had some small advantages over Nissan's better funded EV. They buried the "Lowest priced EV - by A LOT!!" lead by only showing reviewers the high-priced SE Premium, leading to review after review asking "Why wouldn't I spend an extra couple of grand for a Leaf?" They did nothing meaningful to raise awareness of the car, eschewing mass market advertising in favor of a poorly tended and completely ineffectual social networking campaign. They neglected early adopters by emphasizing putting unwanted inventory on dealer lots over filling pre-orders, which was doubly stupid, both cooling the ardor of those most excited about the car, and limiting the car's exposure by leaving them parked in lots and showrooms instead of being driven around town by happy new owners. And perhaps worst of all, when these marketing missteps generated the predictable results, loose-lipped execs began bad-mouthing the car and its prospects, made a big deal of saying they wouldn't be improving or updating the car and implied that it would soon be withdrawn, and began talking up the Outlander PHEV months before they'd have any to sell (which is still not yet).
All this might be because, after years of development, Mitsubishi found themselves with a car that cost too much to build to be sold profitably and competitively against Nissan's surprisingly strong first effort. I kind of hope that's the case, because at least that would be understandable. If they stay in the States and stand behind the car for service and support, I'll have no quarrel with them - but I won't be able to help wondering what might have been.
), but I was very glad the price difference so strongly favored the Mitsu, because honestly, there are some things about the Nissan I just didn't trust (the lack of active thermal management, mainly), and still don't. The Volt's something I might have considered as an only car (the lousy cargo capacity being an obvious problem), but I had no need to spend that kind of money with a Prius sitting in the garage with all the gasoline-fueled range I could want. Ford did such a rotten job with the Focus-E's packaging and pricing that I can't figure out who it's been built for - judging from the numbers, apparently a rarefied clientele. And, umm, that was it for plug-in cars offered for sale in New Mexico at the time.
