Automotive

Mia's plug-in electric delivery van puts driver front and center

View 42 Images
French/German electric vehicle manufacturer mia has developed a small plug-in delivery van with a top speed of 68 mph and a battery range of up to 80 miles
The mia U micro delivery van features lateral sliding doors for ease of access to the precious cargo
The mia U is available in two battery capacities - an 8kWh pack for up to 56 miles on a single charge or a 12kWh pack for up to 80 miles
The contents of the mia U electric microvan can be accessed via the rear door or a lateral sliding door on either side of the driver
The mia U has 53 cubic feet of cargo space behind the single driver seat
French/German electric vehicle manufacturer mia has developed a small plug-in delivery van with a top speed of 68 mph and a battery range of up to 80 miles
The mia U is capable of a top speed of 68 mph thanks to its 18kW (peak) asynchronous electric motor
The mia U is very economical to run, costing about $1.34 per 62 miles
All of the important information is displayed right in front of the driver in the center of the dash
One of the two aluminum wings on either side of the steering wheel
Probably the most striking feature of the mia U is the positioning of the driver in a central position, said to give better all-round visibility
The mia range includes a two passenger model and a three passenger version
Designed for busy city driving, the mia electric vehicle range is available now
The mia on the streets of Paris
Attracting some attention from onlookers, the mia standard edition
Plenty of room in the back for grocery essentials
The mia L - an economical way to transport the family around the inner city
The current mia range consists of a three occupant model, a four occupant version and a micro van
About to take an unusual passenger on board at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum last year
Each model in the range features lateral sliding doors for ease of access
Dropping the kids off at school with the mia L
The mia factory is now reported to be capable of churning out around 1,000 mia vehicles per month
The 68 mph top speed might be a little slow for motorway driving but is more than enough for zipping through busy city streets
The mia urban vehicle concept was originally developed for contract vehicle production company Heuliez, by Patrick Largeau
The mia's length of 9.4 feet and tight turning circle of 14 feet makes it quite the parking and maneuvering performer
In addition to giving a better all-round view, the central driving position also gives passengers behind the driver a bit more leg room
Passenger seats are fitted with an ISOFIX system for attaching child seats and there's a three-point safety belt on all seats
The mia has good reason to smile - a top speed of 68 mph and battery range up to 80 miles on a single charge
Safety features include ABS and Active Brake Assist as standard to help with emergency stopping, a central airbag for the driver and central locking for the doors and trunk
The creamy-white mia electric vehicle with black rims and white bumper inserts
The mia benefits from just over 9 cubic feet of storage space at the back, not bad for a car of this size
The mia features a bowed floor and roof to make it easier to get in and out
While the mia is available in a number of different colors, a custom paint job does not come as standard
The custom-finished mia U with 14-inch rims surrounded by Michelin green energy tires
The 8 kWh LiFePO4 Lithium iron phosphate battery pack is fully charged in just three hours via a standard 230V/16A plug
The driver of the mia L is positioned front and center, with passengers behind
The mia's central driving position gives passengers more leg room
The mia vehicles are capable of running for up to 56 miles on a single charge of the 8kWh battery pack, or over 80 miles with the 12 kWh pack installed
The 12 kWh LiFePO4 Lithium iron phosphate battery pack is fully charged in just five hours via a standard 230V/16A plug
Murat Günak, Chief Designer and Head of Corporate Strategy mia electric, with the mia range
Passengers benefit from lots of leg room
The full mia range will feature at the 82nd Geneva International Motor Show shortly
View gallery - 42 images

About this time last year, it was reported that Europeans were leading the way in reducing automotive traffic in the city, resulting in improvements to air quality and in living standards. Many municipalities look upon electric vehicles in a more favorable light to their gas-guzzling cousins, though, which makes them an increasingly appealing option for those who depend on being able to drive through city for their livelihoods.

Electric taxis are already zipping their way through the maze of busy city streets, and the Ford Transit Connect electric van we featured in 2010 is now ready for transporting over 130 cubic feet (more than 3,800 liters) of cargo. Small-scale courier services, electricians or plumbers on the lookout for something a little smaller and lighter than Ford's trailblazer, but with a similar battery range and speed, may well find the novel mia electric microvan a very good fit indeed.

Part of a series (more on the other models later), probably the most striking feature of the mia U is the seating of the driver in a central position. The manufacturer states that this gives better all-round visibility, as well as giving plenty of room for the mounting of a smartphone, tablet computer, GPS device or music player to either side of the driver. Of course, it also means that the makers don't have to worry about building separate left- and right-hand drive models.

Probably the most striking feature of the mia U is the positioning of the driver in a central position, said to give better all-round visibility

The mia U is a single occupancy vehicle of some 10.46 feet (3.19 meters) in length, although the manufacturer can equip the vehicle with two seats if desired at the cost of reducing the 53 cubic feet (1,500 liters) of cargo space behind the driver seat. The contents of the microvan can be accessed via the rear door or a lateral sliding door on either side of the driver. It's capable of a top speed of 68 mph (100km/h) thanks to its 18kW (peak) asynchronous electric motor, which also delivers a maximum torque of 58 Nm.

There are two battery options available. The 8 kWh LiFePO4 Lithium iron phosphate battery pack gives a range of up to 56 miles (90 km) and is fully charged in just three hours via a standard 230V/16A plug, although the manufacturer says that a quick 10 minute top up should be good for at least five miles (eight km) - hopefully enough for the homeward journey. A 12 kWh battery pack will extend the vehicle's range to up to 80.77 miles (130 km), and charge time is five hours.

Said to have been developed with city center deliveries in mind, the mia U is something of a lightweight too. The 8kWh version tips the scales at a very low 1,686.5 pounds (765 kg), while the 12kWh model weighs in at just 1,732.8 pounds (786kg) - which doubtless contributes to the microvan's extremely economical power consumption and low running costs (about US$1.34/one euro per 62 miles/100 km).

While the mia is available in a number of different colors, a custom paint job does not come as standard

As someone who is regularly woken in the early hours to the awful clatter of a voiturette sans permis as the driver delivers the morning newspaper, I can personally appreciate that one of the major benefits of the mia U is its quiet operation.

We've already featured other electric vans in Gizmag - such as Nissan's e-nv200 electric minivan with 145 cubic feet (over 4,000 liters) of cargo space and the semi-autonomous capabilities of the much larger eT concept from Volkswagen - the mia U, however, does have one big advantage over both of these impressive vehicles, in that it's available now.

The mia U is priced at EUR 23,879 (US$32,064) for the 8kWh version, before any green incentives are taken off. It will cost an extra EUR 3,773 (US$5,066) to upgrade to the 12kWh battery pack.

The other two models in the current range are aimed more at non-professional use. The mia L is the same length as the U but has bench type seating behind the driver capable of comfortably seating three passengers, with those with a window seat being particularly spoiled for leg room thanks the central driving position. Like the commercial vehicle, the L also benefits from lateral sliding doors that gives it an outward appearance of a shrunken-down Peugeot 1006.

The mia L - an economical way to transport the family around the inner city

There's nearly 15 cubic feet (420 liters) of storage at the back. The 8kWh version weighs 1,732.8 pounds (786 kg), which increases to 1,843 pounds (836 kg) for the 12kWh model. Passenger seats are fitted with an ISOFIX system for attaching child seats, and there's a three-point safety belt on all seats. Other safety features include ABS and Active Brake Assist as standard to help with emergency stopping, a central airbag for the driver and central locking for the doors and trunk.

The mia L carries a price tag of EUR 25,974 (US$34,877) for an 8kWh version, before incentives, with the higher capacity battery pack adding the same amount to the cost as with the mia U.

The remaining bare-bones electric vehicle in a range that's said to have proudly and unpretentiously turned its back on a market where extreme power and good looks are king, is the standard mia. Its length of 9.4 feet (2.87 meters) and tight turning circle of 14 feet (4.5 meters) makes it quite the parking and maneuvering performer. It weighs just 1,686.5 pounds (765 kg) with the 8kWh battery pack on board and 1,796.7 pounds (815 kg) with the larger capacity pack, and has just over 9 cubic feet (260 liters) of storage space at the back.

Plenty of room in the back for grocery essentials

There are two passenger seats behind the central driver but like the other models, it benefits from those sliding side doors and features a bowed floor and roof to make it easier to get in and out.

The mia standard will cost EUR 24,927 (US$33,469) for the 8kWh version, without any eco bonuses being taken off, and there's the same extra charge for an improved battery life as with the other models.

This economical urban vehicle concept was originally developed for contract vehicle production company Heuliez, by Patrick Largeau. In July 2010 the newly-formed French/German company mia electric took over the electric division of Heuliez, which had previously been involved in the production of electric versions of the Peugeot 106 and Citroen Saxo, and gave the car a new identity.

The modern assembly line at Cerizay, in the west of France, began commercial production of the mia range in June 2011, but didn't enter the consumer marketplace until September. The factory is now reported to be capable of churning out around 1,000 mia vehicles per month. The mia has already been adopted by local authorities in the French cities of Angoulême, La Rochelle and Nice for employee car share schemes.

The full mia range will feature at the 82nd Geneva International Motor Show shortly

The mia range, including an exclusive miaparis model, will feature at the 82nd Geneva International Motor Show from 8 to 18 March, before hopping over the English Channel in May to go on sale in the UK. These electric vehicles have just qualified for the government's Plug-In Car and Van grants, which could cut up to GBP 5,000 (US$7,927) off the cost of purchase of a mia car and up to GBP 8,000 (US$12,683) off the cost of a mia van.

Source: mia electric

View gallery - 42 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
6 comments
DemonDuck
I'd give it an A- Good attempt but the off center driver's station is a no go and really wastes a lot of space for longer, wider items. And those wings off the steering wheel are just a desperate attempt at style with no purpose.
Also, if they put four small drive motors in the wheels, you'd have a 4 wheel drive that would work in snow and also allow the driver's station to be moved forward giving even more room. The test is a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Build one that can accommodate a sheet of plywood and drive it through a foot of snow and you've got a winner.
Slowburn
If voiturette sans permis present a noise problem deal with the noise problem. ICE doesn't have to be noisy. By putting the driver in the middle they decreased the safe and comfortable number of passengers by at least one and perhaps two.
Richard Deslandes
Here's the manufacturers answers - wings off the steering wheel - dont think so , they are the tops of the electronic units , we developed a test vehicle for michelin motorised wheels . Too energy greedy at the moment. Can't move the drivers seat forward any more need room for the crash box- its an N1 or M1 vehicle. On the contrary central driving creates 3 comfortable seats instead of 4 cramped ones and improves safety. Seems your reviewers haven't actually seen the car yet ?
Matt Rings
@Richard Deslandes: thank you for your input. This website needs more developer feedback, like you have provided.
As you might suspect, there are plenty of anonymous "armchair geniuses" on the internet forums that second-guess any technology, with no evidence to support their arguments or business opinions.
The majority of us here applaud vehicular advancements, and realize there are ideas that can be important for various niches of drivers/businesses.
Three cheers.
Dr. Rings
Chris Jordan
A+ here. A parking lot accident "totaled" my Kia (Ford Aspire) which has square lower door edges rather than rounded doors; allowing my wheelchair to easily roll in behind the driver seat. I have been looking at Fiats, Toyota, Smart -anything to remain small. All fail. I do not want a Camero or Mustang just to get my 'chair into.
With square doorsills on both sides and unobstructed seat entry/exit - this is the most useful design I have seen for years!
Gerard58
I think this is a very good design. I like the idea of the thought that went behind the power supply. It is adequate for it roll. All trade men fit some sort of roof rack on their vehicles and this would answer that problem of a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I sure this could be designed on the trade version. I would buy one. It makes sense and is more practical in small villages you get all over Europe and Asia. Gerard. PS. Great Mag. I look forward to every link and read all the content. Keep up the good work.