Mia Electric on track for May launch

Posted on 22 Feb 2012 at 18:05

Mia Electric has welcomed news from the government that its three upcoming vehicles will benefit from the Plug-In Car and Plug-In Van grants when they launch in the UK later this year.

As a result of close cooperation between the Franco-German company and the government's Office for Low Emissions Vehicles, the three planned launch vehicles have been deemed suitable for the UK having met all the required safety, reliability, performance and warranty standards required.

As a result, those picking up a Mia Electric vehicle when they go on sale later this year will be entitled to a government-sponsored discount of around £5,000. This makes pricing of the standard short wheelbase Mia-U sit at around £21,000 and the Mia-L and Mia Box Van sit at around £22,000 with final pricing yet to be confirmed.

Mia might be an unknown name in the UK car industry, but it has plenty of experience: its three electric vehicles were created by former head of Volkswagen's design department Murat Günak, while the company was purchased after being spun off from renowned developer Heuliez.

The most conspicuous feature of all three Mia models is the central driving position, allowing the driver to enter and exit the vehicle from either side. According to Mia, this arrangement provides the driver with the perfect view of traffic and the passengers in the back with the maximum possible amount of legroom, along with an interesting 'office-style' layout that includes a display with space to mount a tablet computer and smartphone.

"As a father of four I wanted to pursue a new, sustainable path towards environmentally-friendly mobility of the future," explained Günak at the launch announcement. "We started with a blank piece of paper and asked ourselves the same question over and over again: What does a customer really want to be mobile in the city? Our conclusion was a compact-yet-spacious electric vehicle that’s well organised and single-mindedly focused on urban transportation."

All three models are powered by a 18kW electric motor at the rear, giving them a top speed of 68mph and a range of around 75 miles per five-hour charge of the standard lithium iron phosphate battery pack.

All three models are due to launch in the UK this May, Mia has confirmed.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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User comments

VickiE EML Wildfire

Are electric vehicles really an option for business use?
Andrew Yeoman, Managing Director for Trimble UK said in his recent blog.

News that the Government announced it will offer an £8,000 grant to those who want to buy an electric van has propelled electric vehicles into the limelight once again.

The grant has been set up to encourage businesses and consumers to swap their Ford Transits for more environmentally friendly vehicles. Not only do users benefit from the contribution to the purchase price but they also save on tax and won’t have to spend a fortune on running costs, making it a ‘win-win’ situation for everyone – or does it?

Are electric vans or indeed any electric vehicle really of any use in the business world? Would the average ‘white van man’ for example use one of these vans to get to a job, carry around tools and equipment and make deliveries? Probably not.

While electric vans are wonderful in terms of green credentials, in reality they can be expensive and impractical for those doing a large number of miles or carrying significant weight.

Take for example a typical plumber. They travel an average of 400 miles per week, carrying an average of 5kgs of equipment. An electric van would be totally unviable for them due to the current vehicle range and battery life.

Typically an electric vehicle has to be charged every 50-75 miles but with a lack of charging points across the country, it would be impossible for the plumber to reliably get from job to job.

And of course, let’s not forget that electronic vehicles cost between
£10-15,000 more than a ‘normal’ petrol/diesel van, so even with the government grant, they are still expensive.

So what’s the answer? It’s clear electric vans aren’t yet suitable for
the business world but macro hybrid vehicles are. They don’t cost the earth but with their combined electric and internal combustion engine they will help save the earth. They can be filled up at any service station or charged where a point is available saving an average of 20% on annual fuel costs. They are now a viable option for businesses and could be the first step in paving the way for electric vehicles to offer the same value in the future.