The Mitsubishi eK X EV can now power appliances and homes, especially in emergencies
If there’s one class of electric cars that we wish we saw in our country, it would have to be the electric kei car. Sure, there are a handful of electric city cars from China that fit the bill, but there’s a certain appeal about these boxy, function-first cars, especially when in van form as they zip around the narrow, crowded streets of Japan.
One of these is the newly updated Mitsubishi eK X (Cross) EV, which has been refreshed with a more modern, EV-like front fascia that gives it a smooth front end with an illuminated front grille compared to the Dynamic Shield with a faux grille that it used to wear, alongside new color schemes to differentiate it from the ICE model.
What’s bigger news is that the eK Cross EV also allows you to use its 20kWh lithium-ion battery as a mobile power bank, capable of providing up to 1,500W via its household port or various USB-A and USB-C ports within the cabin.
This follows the Nissan Sakura, Honda N One e:, and BYD Racco electric kei cars, which have the same vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. Being able to do this is important for Japan, as they get hit by earthquakes and typhoons quite often.
Apart from that, it still has a single front-mounted electric motor with a maximum power output of 64 horsepower and 195Nm of torque, and said 20kWh lithium-ion battery is capable of driving up to 180km (WLTC) on a single charge. That’s not a lot, but remember, these cars are usually meant for short trips as they usually carry up to four people or specific cargo.
While there’s a lot of fuss about Mitsubishi’s rebadged electric cars taken from within the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan alliance (as this is developed alongside the Nissan Sakura), it’s really beneficial for the brands as they can share technologies with each other and speed up development.
Would you want the Japanese brands to start selling their electric kei cars outside of the country, just as Honda is planning to start sales of the Super-ONE globally?
Photos from Mitsubishi
