TOKYO, Jan 26, 2023 – (JCN Newswire) – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that the all-new eK X EV (pronounced “eK ‘cross’ EV”), an all-electric kei-car(1),(2), has earned the Five Star Award, the highest rating, in the Vehicle Safety Performance 2022 car assessment by Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP)(3).
Mitsubishi Motors remains committed to its safety-oriented philosophy of achieving a mobility society with zero traffic accidents through continued efforts to develop and spread safety technology, and to spread knowledge about traffic safety.
In order to make it easier for buyers to choose cars with better safety while also promoting the development of safe vehicles by automakers, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims’ Aid (NASVA) perform various assessment tests each year for car safety performance mainly on high sales volume cars and publish the results. Only the cars that earn the highest evaluation (A rank) in both collision safety performance and preventive safety performance, and are equipped with an automatic accident emergency call system subsequently receive the Five Star Award, representing the highest assessment.
Website of the NASVA
www.nasva.go.jp/mamoru/en/
www.nasva.go.jp/mamoru/en/assessment_car/detail/249
Collision safety performance
The eK X EV comes standard equipped with driver and passenger SRS airbags, front seat-mounted side SRS airbags, and side curtain SRS airbags, as well as driver SRS knee airbag that cushion the driver’s lower body to mitigate leg injuries while improving protective efficiency by holding the body in position. The seven airbags enhances collision safety performance.
Preventive safety performance
Active safety technologies are standard equipped on all vehicles, combining nine advanced driver assist features including the Forward Collision Mitigation system (FCM) that alerts the driver and applies the brakes to assist in avoiding collisions or mitigating collision damage whenever it detects vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists ahead and determines a risk of collision, as well as Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) that alert the driver if the vehicle is about to drift from its lane and support in returning the vehicle by applying the brakes in a short period of time, and Emergency Assist for Pedal Misapplication (EAPM) that alerts the driver and applies the brakes to assist in avoiding collisions or mitigating collision damage whenever it detects obstacles ahead such as vehicles, pedestrians and walls, and the driver applies the wrong pedal.
Automatic accident emergency call system
The eK X EV is equipped with emergency call system (with automatic emergency notification feature when airbags deploy)(4) to connect with HELPNET operation center at the press of a button during a medical emergency or when seemingly in danger. Additionally, if an accident does occur, it automatically connects to a call center in conjunction with the deployment of the airbags and is also compatible with the D-Call Net system that makes early-stage decisions on mobilizing rescue services such as Doctor Helicopters, or air ambulance.
Special website for eK X EV (in Japanese only):
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/lineup/ek_x_ev/special/
Product website for eK X EV (in Japanese only):
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/lineup/ek_x_ev/index.html
The eK X EV is a new EV model in the eK X series(5), Mitsubishi Motors’ kei-car series with an SUV flavor and a driving range of 180 kilometers (km, in WLTC mode)(6),(7) on a single charge that is sufficient for everyday use. It also combines spacious and pleasant cabin space and user-friendliness with the smooth, powerful driving experience of EVs, a quiet and comfortable ride, as well as advanced driver assistance systems and connectivity.
(1) Kei-car is a vehicle category in Japan for microcars.
(2) The eK X EV is a model designed under planning and development management by NMKV Co., Ltd., a joint venture of Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. The results of the Nissan Sakura were used in this evaluation, while some of the evaluations were conducted using the eK X EV. The Nissan Sakura also received the Five Star Award.
(3) JNCAP is a joint project by the MLIT and NASVA.
(4) Installation of the smartphone application My MITSUBISHI CONNECT and user registration are required to use the service. Emergency call system is an emergency calling service (HELPNET) provided by Japan Mayday Service Co., Ltd. D-Call Net is a registered trademark of Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital (HEM-Net), a certified non-profit organization. Doctor Helicopters might not be able to mobilize depending on circumstances such as location, time of day, or weather.
(5) Lineup includes eK X, a height-wagon kei-car, and eK X space, a super height-wagon kei-car.
(6) In Japan, approximately 80 percent of users of kei-cars and compact cars drive 50 km or less per day (Mitsubishi Motors’ survey). Accordingly, it is estimated that most users can drive for two days without recharging.
(7) WLTC, or Worldwide harmonized Light duty Test Cycle, is an internationally recognized test cycle that is composed of urban, suburban, and highway driving modes with average usage ratios.
About Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211), a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification — launched the i-MiEV – the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV – the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. The company announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the Eclipse Cross (PHEV model), the all-new Outlander and the all-new Triton/L200.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company’s website at www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/
