Mitsubishi aims for sub-$30,000 price tag on U.S. i-MiEV

When Nissan announced an almost unbelievably low price for its upcoming Leaf electric vehicle, one automaker was quick to respond. Mitsubishi immediately announced a $6,700 reduction of its i-MiEV electric vehicle in Japan and now the company has stated that the vehicle will come to the U.S. with a sub-$30,000 price tag!

The i-MiEV will go on sale in the states in 2011 and Mitsubishi does not want to be outdone by Nissan. To that end, the company will aggressively price the i-MiEV below $30k. Even better news is that the target price set by Mitsubishi does not take into account the $7,500 credit that will be available at the launch of the vehicle. So, with the credit, the i-MiEV should come in around $22,000, less than a typical Toyota Prius. This pricing information is not a well traveled rumor, it comes straight from Mitsubishi Motor North America spokesman Maurice Durand, who told Ward's Auto at the New York Auto Show that, "We're targeting sub-$30,000 for the U.S. when it launches." Durand told AutoblogGreen that Mitsubishi, "is very much aware of Nissan's pricing."

Even with a low price, the i-MiEV may have a difficult time taking sales away from the Leaf. If pricing holds true, the Leaf will run you about $3,000 more than an i-MiEV, but for that change you get a very well-equipped vehicle capable of carrying five people with adequate performance and all the amenities found in traditional vehicles. Even if the i-MiEV falls short of the Leaf in the features category, the vehicles will fight for sales and the brewing price war is a great sign of what to expect as more EVs come to market.

[Source: Ward's Auto]