Rates starting at $249 per month
With electric vehicles still priced on the high side for early adapters, the best way for most new-car shoppers to get behind the wheel of one of these advanced technology vehicles is through leasing. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf already have impressive leasing options, and now the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV (also referred to as the Mitsubishi i) is getting its own attractive lease rates. Mitsubishi has teamed up with Ally Financial to offer a 36-month lease of the all-electric 2012 Mitsubishi i for as low as $249 per month, and these rates are available now at all Mitsubishi dealerships.
This starting rate is for the base Mitsubishi i ES equipped with the $700 Quick Charge Package (adding a DC quick charge port, a battery warming system and heated door mirrors) which would make the i's MSRP $30,675 including destination. Unfortunately, it does not appear that lessees will be able to take advantage of the $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit. The terms of the lease include a payment of $3,498 at signing. In addition to just leasing the i, Ally Financial also becomes a preferred finance provider for Mitsubishi dealerships for new-car shoppers who are either buying or leasing a new Mitsubishi car or crossover.
"We welcome the cooperation from Ally's auto finance team to provide our customers with additional flexibility in leasing and financing our highly efficient, zero-emission 2012 Mitsubishi i " said Yoichi Yokozawa, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc (MMNA). "This will provide small businesses and consumers with even more convenient means to finance their new Mitsubishi Motors electric vehicle, making the Mitsubishi i more attractive to those individuals and companies that want to make a difference by opting for a sustainable and highly cost-effective form of transportation."
The 2012 Mitsubishi i is currently the most affordable all-electric car in the United States, and its small size and efficient drivetrain help it return a combined mile per gallon equivalent (MPGe) of 112 to go with an EPA-rated driving range of 62 miles. The 112 MPGe puts the i above rivals like the Volt and Leaf, but its driving range comes up just short against the Leaf's 73-mile range. For Mitsubishi, the i is just the Japanese automaker's first foray into advanced technology vehicles with the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid set to debut later this year at the Paris Motor Show.