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Mitsubishi debuts Concept CA-MiEV, a new suburban EV with a 186-mile range

Mitsubishi is stretching the electric jellybean. For years, the i-MiEV was regular presence at Mitsubishi's auto show booths around the world, and the car rightfully earned its nickname because of its rounded shape. Today, at the Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi finally unveiled a version of the i-MiEV that looks much more more at home among the alternative-powertrain car fleet of the near future.
But there's more being elongated here than just the shape. The official range of the standard i (as the i-MiEV is known in the US) is 62 miles. The Concept CA-MiEV - where the CA stands for Compact and Advanced - is supposed to be able to go 300 kilometers (186 miles) from a 28-kWh lithium-ion battery and lightweight 80-kW motor/inverter/charger unit. This is kind of astonishing, given the range estimates of other compact and midsize EVs on the market today - most are in the 80-100-mile range. Of course, the specific test used to get the 186-mile result matters, too, since the regular i received 98 miles on the LA4 driving cycle range. The US-i has a 16-kWh pack.
The increased distance means that Mitsubishi is talking about the Concept CA-MiEV as the "suburban EV," with enough range for "about one week of driving for an average European driver." If you need more, Mitsubishi hints that the flat battery pack leaves room for a range-extender. Add in convenience features like WiTricity wireless charging and the ability for the car to send an emergency email if it's stolen, and you've got the commuting vehicle of the future. With a coefficient of drag of just 0.26 and boomerang lights, of course.

Mitsubishi eX Concept portends an electric future

Mitsubishi's future is electric, and the Japanese brand's eX Concept presents its vision for a crossover EV for the years to come at the Tokyo Motor Show. At the same time, the company is using this opportunity to show off some next-gen tech that could arrive in production models someday. To get around, the all-wheel-drive eX Concept packs front and rear electric motors that each produce 94 horsepower, and they're powered by a 45-kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion battery under the passenger compartment. For added traction, the torque split is variable between the back wheels, and braking can adjust things at the nose. Plus, sensors and cameras can read the road ahead and tweak the system accordingly. The eX portends what's next for the company's design language, but traces from the latest Outlander are still visible. Up front, there's a revised version of the brand's X-shaped grille that Mitsubishi calls the Dynamic Shield, but here the turn signals and LED running lights are placed at the top. The concept's bigger innovation to the brand's styling language is the floating roof that makes the side glass appear to wrap around the body. Mitsubishi highlights some future tech inside by using an augmented reality windshield. The idea is to display important info right on the glass to keep a driver's eye on the road, and it also means just a few digital displays are necessary for the physical instruments. For safety, a front-mounted camera and radar also help spot pedestrians and other potential hazards. Mitsubishi goes into elaborate detail about all of the eX's features in the announcement below. MITSUBISHI eX Concept – World Premiere ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Evolution in EV Technology + Heart-thumping SUV Allure Next-generation Compact SUV ?The MITSUBISHI eX Concept is a vision for a compact SUV powered by a next-generation EV system. In terms of design, overall it evokes the image of a sports crossover zipping nimbly around town as it merges the elegance and stylishness of a "shooting brake" (a term for a coupe with flowing styling fused with a hatchback car, the term originates from British hunting-use horse carriages) with compact SUV lines. The front end expresses a new interpretation of MMC's Dynamic Shield front design concept. In both its exterior and interior, the MITSUBISHI eX Concept indicates the direction MMC Design is taking.

Carlos Ghosn's jail time extended, as family says he was framed

TOKYO — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn will be detained at least through Jan. 11, the Tokyo District Court said Monday, as the once-revered auto industry figure faces allegations that have marked a stunning downfall. Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and helped save the Japanese automaker from near bankruptcy, was arrested Nov. 19 on suspicion of falsifying financial reports. He also faces a breach of trust allegation, for which his detention had been approved previously through Jan. 1. The Tokyo District Court said in a statement that it had approved prosecutors' request for a 10-day extension. Ghosn has been charged in the first set of allegations, about under-reporting Ghosn's pay by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) in 2011-2015. Related: Top 10 automotive stories of 2018 Those close to Ghosn and his family say he is asserting his innocence as the alleged underreported amount of money was never really decided or paid, and Nissan never suffered any monetary losses from the alleged breach of trust. It is unclear when Ghosn may be released on bail. Tokyo prosecutors consider Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, a flight risk. In Japan, formal charges can mean a suspect will get detained for months, sometimes until the trial starts, because of fears of tampered evidence. Some experts are puzzled that the allegations against Kelly and Ghosn are about underreporting income from Nissan. Nissan is in charge of filing such financial reports, not individual executives. Over the weekend, The New York Times published an article, "The Rise and Fall of Carlos Ghosn," describing his arrest as well as his almost legendary ascendance as the outsider who saved Nissan: "He was a person who was above the clouds," said one Nissan employee. But it's clear from the article that his autocratic style has long rankled the Japanese. In a sidebar, the NYT also covered accusations from Ghosn's daughters that Nissan had set him up for a fall, part of a mutiny against his explorations of a merger between Nissan and Renault. They point out that Hiroto Saikawa, the chief executive of Nissan, complained about the nature of the alliance in the first news conference following Ghosn's arrest. "Wow," daughter Caroline Ghosn said. "He didn't even waste a breath. He didn't even try to cover up the fact that the merger had something to do with this." The NYT articles included Ghosn family photos showing a softer side to the stern auto executive.