Designed at the Mitsubishi Motors Design Center in Cypress, California, and debuted at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Mitsubishi Concept-CT is a compact 4-door hatchback powered by 4 in-wheel electric motors and a 3 cylinder petrol engine.
The Concept CT was designed to be practical as well as fun, while returning an advantageous mpg. The 4 in-wheel electric motors are powered by batteries located under the rear floor and in the front. The fuel tank for the 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder engine – which drives the rear wheels and acts as a generator for the batteries – is positioned at the front also. Total power for the Concept-CT is 134 horsepower (100 kw).
Inside the Mitsubishi Concept-CT, design of the main controls is influenced by motorcycle forks, and clean simple lines are everywhere. The center console, floating between the front seats, houses a fingerprint reading security system, as well as a computer touch pad interface.
The thin, floating front seats and rear contoured bench seats comfortably accommodate 4 passengers. And the thin cushions and seatbacks increase available interior space.
The Mitsubishi Concept-CT provides a glimpse into the future of hybrid Mitsubishi vehicles incorporating in-wheel electric motors, a production goal Mitsubishi hopes to achieve by 2010.
The Mitsubishi EZ MIEV concept uses 4 in-wheel electric motors for power, like the Mitsubishi Concept CT which was shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2006.
MIEV stands for – Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle – and EZ describes the versatile seating arrangement which allows the interior to transform from a space capable of seating 5 adults in a conventional manner, to a circular lounge area complete with flat-screen TV. The passenger seats can also be folded flat into the floor to create a large cargo space.
For a single box city car, the Mitsubishi EZ MIEV is surprisingly attractive, and has managed to escaped the usual gimmicks attached to similar concepts. The in-wheel electric motors are a feature which Mitsubishi hope to put in production cars before 2010. Despite being a reasonably radical design feature they are also extremely practical for this type of car, freeing up space inside the EZ MIEV where the engine and transmission would normally be. And because an electric motor provides 100% of its torque from 0 rpm they are well suited to nippy city driving. Not to mention they are environmentally friendly.
Overall the Mitsubishi EZ MIEV is a semi-radical concept which is well thought out and a real taste of the not-so-distant city car.
[ Source : Diseno-art.com | Dodgecityrc.com | Motortrend.com
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