i-MiEV set to become a Peugeot

Mitsubishi and PSA go into badge engineering deal to help i-MiEV pass muster in Europe

Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen have announced a collaborative badge-engineering deal that will see Mitsubishi's i-MiEV all-electric compact car go to market in Europe as a Peugeot.

The pair used the Geneva motor show to reveal a 'European-ised' prototype version of the vehicle with exterior changes compared to car set to arrive in Japanese showrooms mid-late this year.

The explanation lies in substantial design rule differences between Europe and Japan. In the Euro i-MiEV, these present most immediately in broader track front and rear and longer overhangs - at the front to accommodate a predicted tightening up of pedestrian protection in Europe and at the rear to provide better protection against rear-end impact.

Both i-MiEV iterations place the bulk of the powertrain components including the electric motor and the lithium-ion battery pack underfloor and just forward of the rear axle, effectively making for a mid-engine layout with an unusually low centre of gravity.

The benefits are manifold: there's the traditional mid-engine rationale whereby putting the heavy componentry between the axles turns it into a kind of fulcrum on which the vehicle can balance as it turns. And dispensing with the need for a forward engine bay allows for a longer wheelbase and more interior room.

The deal marks a win-win, giving Mitsubishi a European partner with substantial electric car experience in the European market (PSA has already sold more than 10,000 EVs there), while the French conglomerate gets to put an advanced mass market EV in its showrooms faster than it would otherwise.

The partners expect to launch the vehicle in Europe Q4 2010 or Q1 2011.