Are Australians ready for a return of an electric Mitsubishi micro-car? If it costs around $30,000, then hell yeah!
Electric cars aren’t cheap and even though they’ve come a long way in terms of affordability, zero-emissions motoring is still well out of reach for many Aussies.
Fact is, you need to fork out more than $43,000 to get into a new EV today, and even fledgling Chinese brands are struggling to get prices into the $30K bracket.
But cheap EVs exist. Overseas.
In Japan, the Mitsubishi ek X is a case in point.
It belongs to the ‘kei’ car (or ‘light motor vehicle’) category in Japan, where buyers are given tax breaks when purchasing these cars because they have restricted dimensions and power capacity – keeping them really small, lightweight and economical – which have positive benefits for everyone with their lower environmental impact.
Kei cars have been around since the late 1940s, and since 1990 have been limited to a 660cc petrol engine with a maximum 47kW of power. In recent years, the tax benefits have been reduced, but they remain a popular car for their economy and easy manoeuvrability.
As you’d expect, they’re also now switching to a battery-electric powertrain in the EV era.
Kei cars in Japan remain popular for their economy and easy manoeuvrability
In Australia, the few kei cars that’ve been sold here over the years haven’t done so well. They were seen as unusual, underpowered and not well suited to long-distance driving that Aussies love.
The first EV ever sold in Australia, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, was based on a kei car. It was a pioneer, but won few admirers and was expensive at around $50,000, pitched mainly at fleet buyers. It was dropped in 2013.
Fast-forward 10 years and the landscape is a lot different.
The Mitsubishi ek X (or ek cross) is certainly a better looker than the i-MiEV, and in Japan it’s priced from around 2.4 million yen – or just over $26,000 at today’s exchange rate.
Designed for city dwellers, it’s small (3.4m long, 1.5m wide), lightweight (1080kg), seats four and churns out the maximum 47kW (and 195Nm) from its single-motor/front-drive powertrain.
That all sounds pretty good, but are Australians ready for the return of a Mitsubishi EV kei car?
With little-to-no knowledge of Japan’s road rules, we braved the streets of Tokyo to find out…
The Mitsubishi ek X in Japan is priced at just over $26,000 AUD
Close encounters
As it turns out, the bustling city of Tokyo is relatively quiet at lunchtime on a Monday.
We’re headed out to Odaiba Kaihin Koen, a popular seaside park thanks to its serene cove that offers a near-perfect view of the Rainbow Bridge, a suspension bridge affectionally named by locals after its colourful lights.
The pint-sized Mitsubishi ek X feels very much at home on the clean streets of Japan’s largest city, where the generous glasswork makes you feel more connected to what’s happening outside the car.
You can almost liken the tiny proportions of the ek X to riding a motorcycle, because you feel a similar level of exposure to other vehicles, even despite the difference of a metal casing surrounding you.
Its narrow proportions mean that while the driver and passenger aren’t necessarily cramped together, your elbows virtually rub against the door cards, making you feel very close to the outside world.
But even with adults in all four seats, the cabin is surprisingly spacious, offering loads of headroom from its tall roofline and legroom to rival a large SUV for second-row passengers.
Natural habitat
Another surprise is the thrust in which the chubby Mitsubishi ek X takes off.
Acceleration is nowhere near that of a Tesla – or even an MG ZS EV for that matter – and it’s not the kind of machine you’d take to Fuji Raceway.
But it does an admirable job considering the tiny 47kW electric motor mounted between the front wheels.
As nimble as you’d expect, our brief test drive consisted mostly of low-speed city driving, which is where you’ll get the most out of an electric supermini like the ek X.
It was, however, difficult to gauge things like dynamics or economy in such a short period, which brings us to perhaps the ek X’s greatest downfall: driving range.
Our tester is fitted with a tiny 20kWh battery pack, which Mitsubishi claims will offer 180km on a full charge.
Not so bad for Tokyo, but not particularly useful here in Oz, unless you have no intentions of straying too far from home base.
Besides, it sounds a little too generous if you ask us, and we reckon you’d average more like 130-150km depending on how you drive.
Its slab-sided design means it’s not particularly aerodynamic, either, but the ek X is cute as a button, and almost comical to get around in and park just about wherever you want.
Making the grade
Inside, the Mitsubishi ek X is modern and well-equipped, featuring a host of driver assistance aids including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning and keyless entry with push-button start.
There’s also a 9.0-inch central touch-screen which comes with smartphone mirroring and navigation, along with heated front seats and, importantly, roof rails, because you won’t fit much more than a slab of A4 paper in the boot.
If the price is right, the little Mitsubishi ek X could make a big impact as far as affordable electric motoring goes in Australia. And as a budget-friendly city runabout, it makes a lot of sense.
It also shows just how far the Japanese manufacturer has come since the i-MiEV.
Sure, the ek X’s short driving range and four seats will be a deal breaker for some Aussie buyers. But if Mitsubishi Australia can get it here for around $30,000, there will be buyers who will adore it.
And, after not only surviving but thriving on the roads of Tokyo, the ek X gets a big thumbs up from us.
Keyword: Tokyo EV taste test: Mitsubishi ek X