It may look like a giant soya bean on wheels, but the upcoming Mitsubishi i-Miev is nonetheless a tasty prospect.

Based on the awkwardly named “i” city car, the i-Miev dispenses with fossil-fuel dinosaur power in favour of lithium-ion high-tech motivation. It’s designed to deliver a range of 100 miles and a terminal velocity of 80mph, and if it falls short Mitsubishi will only have itself to blame. Or itself to half-blame. The batteries hail from Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture between GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi .

Why are we writing about it now, bearing in mind all this info has been floating about out there for ages? Well, it turns out there’s some wrangling going on between Mitsubishi Motors UK and the Japanese top brass as to when the electric bean-mobile ought to make its debut on European roads.

Japan gets the i-Miev next year and it’s not due to land in Europe until 2010. But the UK arm of the firm is twisting limbs back home to bring the car here earlier – for a London launch next year.

Now that the London Congestion charge is back to square one, charging even the smallest petrol and diesel cars full whack for entry, the capital is once again proving a magnet for EV makers. We can’t wait.

Here are a few snaps from our day spent perusing the buffed motors at the British Motor Show.


The small orange lamps in the wheel-arches of the Think City electric car stick out more than we expected. Not good for a city car. We hope they're not expensive to replace.



Somebody disliked Japanese hydrogen-fuel-cell cars enough to give the Honda FCX Clarity a nasty gouge with a key. Someone over on a visit from Detroit, maybe?



The fabulous Morgan Life Car leaves onlookers in no doubt as to its cultural roots:



A side view of the ultra-compact Super Light Electric Sport Car. It really is an intriguing little thing and we wish it were destined for production.



Once in place, the cockpit of the Super Light is a great place to be. Getting there is a less pleasant exercise in contortionism. Looks easy - but isn't.