Mitsubishi Concept CT MIEV
Finally a concept car that embodies low carbon dioxide emission,
fuel efficiency, performance and looks extraordinaire has been developed.
Although designed for the urban center, it has the potential of
becoming the basic concept of car of the future.
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Mitsubishi Motors is paving the way in design
innovations towards producing more sensible vehicles. What
has been unveiled in the North American International Auto
Show is a unique four-door hatchback that utilizes the company's
in-wheel electric hybrid powertrain.
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This new car is totally different from existing models and concept
designs since it employs an all wheel-drive Concept-CT MIEV (Mitsubishi
In-wheel Electric Vehicle) or the radical concept of providing an
electric motor in each of the vehicles four wheels. This system
eliminates the bulky differential, the driveshaft and front wheel
halfshafts, giving the vehicle a more-roomy interior.
It also sports side doors that open butterfly style without a center
pillar to provide maximum interior access. Also adding a practical
feel to the car is the rear hatch that splits horizontally with
an upper glass hatch and lower tailgate for easy loading.
The powertrain of the Concept-CT includes a 1.0 liter, three cylinder
engine and a 54-horsepower electric generator that provides a total
134 hp. Basically the work of the engine is to recharge the 4-pack
Lithium-Ion battery that supplies power to the electric motors;
but when additional power is required, the engine in conjunction
with the electric motor drives the two-rear wheels. This arrangement
(series/parallel hybrid drive) uses a special transmission to harness
the 50kw (67hp) output of the 1.0 L 3-cylinder gasoline engine to
drive the rear wheels and the generator.
Concept-CT's 260.65cm wheelbase is a cross between today's sub-compact
and compact models. The 380.79 cm length makes the car suited for
congested urban environment. The wide wheelbase relative to vehicle
length plus 20-inch wheels systematically placed at the corners
gives the vehicle forceful stance.
The ultra-modern design and high-tech functions, together with
LED headlamps and tail lamps, gives the impression of lights that
comes from a single source rather than from multiple bulbs and a
wraparound glass windshield that provides the driver excellent front
visibility.
Early design prerogative at the Mitsubishi Center manifests total
disregard for existing concepts. Instead, a whole new notion was
conceived; a rear mid-ship layout was adapted placing the gas engine
behind the rear passengers but clear of the rear axle line, a configuration
also found in sports cars for it allows optimum weight distribution,
a low center of gravity and a small yaw-inertia moment (quick steering
response).
The design layout has a large frontal crush zone and greatly reduces
the chance for engine to thrust into the cabin during head-on collision.
The huge battery pack is located below the rear floor while the
gas tank is under the front hood.
Auto Design innovators from the Mitsubishi Center at the Cypress,
California Studio are one in saying that the Concept-CT found parallel
inspiration from the electric scooters popular in Japan. The most
intriguing aspect of the Concept-CT is flexibility, as the gas engine
can be ditched in favor of one that is hydrogen powered. Mitsubishi
Motors is pinning its hopes that the future of hybrid cars rests
on the Concept-CT.
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