2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV receives $6,130 price cut

If you thought that pure-electric cars were still too expensive to make sensible alternatives to gas or diesel cars, Mitsubishi is about to deal another blow to that notion. The electric powered i-MiEV is coming back to the U.S. for the 2014 model year, and Mitsubishi has slashed $6,135 dollars off the price.

This dramatic reduction in price comes after a similar price cut in its home market, but that doesn't mean that Mitsubishi has decontented the popular i-MiEV -- everything's still there, and Mitsubishi has even added even more standard features. New standard kit for the 2014 will include driver and front passenger heated eats, a CHAdeMO DC quick charge port, header side mirrors, a battery warming system, speakers for the rear doors, 8A/12A switchable Level 1 charging cable, and even a charge port lamp. Who says small cars don't have enough gizmos?

The 2014 i-MiEV will also get a leather-covered steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum wheels, front fog lights, new daytime running lights, and some new trim bits inside and out. Range remains the same; an EPA-rated 62 miles.

What'll it take to get into one now? $23,845 is now the price of entry, but that's before the $7,500 federal tax credit. With the tax credit, buyers will be looking at just $16,345. And California residents will be able to lop another $2,500 off that price through their state's EV financial incentive program. So as far as things stand right now, Mitsubishi will have the most affordable pure-electric vehicle in the U.S. market for the 2014 model year, with the smart ED weighing in at just around $2,000 more. The i-MiEV will also be cheaper to get into than the actually-car-sized 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, which costs $27,820.

By Jay Ramey