Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is accelerating work on electric vehicle research. Following quickly on production of a Colt EV test vehicle, they have now developed a Lancer Evo IX with four independent electric motors driving the wheels.

Engine, transmission, fuel tank and other mechanical parts are gone. Under the floor is a pack of 24 lithium ion batteries powering four newly developed 50 kW in-wheel electric motors. Far from conventional, the new motor uses a hollow donut construction that locates the rotor outside the stator instead of inside as in conventional electric motors.

This construction makes it easier to raise power and torque. Each motor is rated at 518 Nm torque. The higher torque removes the need for a speed reducer unit, eliminating weight and improving power transmission efficiency.

The structure also allows the brake mechanism to fit neatly inside the motor which itself fits neatly inside the wheel housing. Inverters front and rear control the motors.

Moving to this new arrangement has overcome the difficulties presented by the steering components, making the motors suitable for fitting to front wheels and hence allowing use in four wheel drive vehicles.

The Lancer Evo MIEV has a kerb weight of 1,590 kg, compared with 1,410 kg for the conventional car, but it still achieves a very respectable maximum speed of 180 kph and in normal town and highway running the vehicle has a range of 250 kilometres.

MMC sees this technology as the basis for the next generation of electric vehicles with the MIEV concept used in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.

It is still early days in the development cycle but the vehicle has already been certified to operate on public roads so it can be tested in actual conditions, rather than being confined to a test track.

The development programme aims to raise performance and reduce weight and size with 2010 targeted for production.

By then the company aims to be marketing high-performance electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles that deliver not only superior environmental performance but also output performance and manoeuvrability at least as good as petrol engined vehicles.