MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) or MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle is the name given by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors to its alternative propulsion technologies. It was introduced in the Mitsubishi Colt EV, a Colt-based concept car first exhibited at 2005 Tokyo Motor Show which used a series of lithium-ion batteries to power electric motors located in the wheels.

This small urban electric car has a top speed of 130 kph (81 mph) and a range of 130 km (81 miles) or 160 km (99 miles), depending on the battery pack.

The most significant improvement inside this futuristic design is the replacement of the old nickel-metal hydride batteries in favor of the latest, state-of-the-art lithium-ion kind. It is lighter, smaller, and much more powerful.

It is said that the interior of the MIEV seems as quiet as a church and the scenery slips silently past. When you back out of a parking lot, you can hear yourself breathe.

And now, as its newest update, Mitsubishi considers giving its U.S. dealerships a gasoline version of its new i MiEV electric car. The Japanese automaker already has plans to import an electric-version of the car to the United States in approximately 18 months.

The automaker already sells a gasoline-powered version of the car, known as the I. In 2006, Mitsubishi sold 37,000 of its conventionally-powered I models in Japan and is now selling them in the U.K.

According to John Koenig, executive vice president for operations at Mitsubishi Motors North America, “By the time it reaches U.S., the car will be replaced with a 1.0L 3-cylinder engine without turbocharging,”