Tokyo Show 2009 Highlights: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo Concept

Mitsubishi, while not quite as bullish on pure electric vehicles Carlos Ghosn and Nissan, has for several years now been quietly developing its EV lineup around its i minicar, called the iMiEV.

At Tokyo, the automaker showed several riffs on the iMiEV, with our pick of the litter being its i-MiEV CARGO concept -- a vehicle not that unlike Ford's Transit Connect, which is coming to the U.S. soon in EV form. It's an ungainly looking machine with its square box grafted onto the back, but one that offers a generous amount of additional space to the electric-powered city car. The height of the CARGO's floor has been designed for ease of loading, and the square rear compartment and flat load floor fully maximize the CARGO's interior space.

With Japan getting more serious about fleet operators lowering their carbon footprint, Mitsubishi envisions the CARGO being a hit with commercial users who could potentially maintain a fleet of EV vehicles, but is also pitching it as a machine for personal uses as well.

Like the rest of its iMiEV brethren, the CARGO is driven by 47kw electric motor powering the rear wheels with the juice supplied by a lithium ion battery pack.
Thanks to: Motor Trend