Mitsubishi Motors Europe will show two concept cars at Geneva this month – the Concept-EZ MIEV and Concept-X.
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Making its world debut, the Concept-EZ MIEV, designed by Mitsubishi Design Europe, features the automaker’s in-house-developed electric motor-in-wheel drivetrain and drive-by-wire technologies to create a striking urban vehicle with unusual interior packaging.
This vehicle shows the dynamic, packaging and design benefits of MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle), which uses ultra-compact electric motors that sit within the wheel hub itself.
Each of the Concept-EZ’s 20-inch wheels houses a 27bhp in-hub motor – total output is 108bhp – powered by a lithium-ion battery pack sandwiched beneath the car’s flat floor.
Using this technology in the 3700mm-long car liberates engineers and designers from the traditional constraints imposed by internal combustion power and drivetrain, and they have created an ‘urban capsule’ vehicle that provides “unsurpassed” interior packaging, according to the automaker.
Usable internal space has also been enhanced by the use of a retractable steering wheel, drive-by-wire technology and intelligent folding seats to create a space that can both transport passengers and provide them with a lounge area when they arrive.
First seen at last year’s Tokyo motor show, the Concept-X is a thinly disguised prototype of the production next generation Lancer sedan and its sporty Evolution derivatives. The display ‘concept’ combines a turbocharged engine, clutchless manual transmission and a new all-wheel-drive drivetrain in a fully redesigned body.
