Mitsubishi begins producing Minicab EV in Indonesia – first local production of kei van outside of Japan

Mitsubishi Motors has announced it has started production of the Minicab EV in Indonesia (known as the L100 EV there). This comes several months after the carmaker said it would do so back in February this year, marking the first time the one-box kei car is produced outside of Japan.

Production of the Minicab EV is being handled by PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia (MMKI) in West Java, with the model set to go on sale in Indonesia in the fourth quarter of the company’s fiscal year 2023 – sometime before the end of March next year.

The carmaker did not provide detailed specifications, but the Minicab EV set to go on sale in Indonesia should be similar to what’s available in Japan. In its home country, the tiny light commercial vehicle (LCV) features a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery – good for a WLTC range of 133 km – that powers a single electric motor rated at 41 PS (40 hp or 30 kW) and 196 Nm of torque.

“In 2017, MMKI began production of the Xpander, which is now not only sold domestically in Indonesia, but also exported to support the development of the Indonesian auto industry,” said Takao Kato, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors. “With the start of our first production of EVs overseas, we hope to meet the growing demand for EVs in the ASEAN region and at the same time contribute to the country’s environmental initiatives,” he added.

In the same release, Mitsubishi also said that part of its ASEAN strategy will also see it partially export the Pajero Sport, which is produced in Thailand and exported to Australia, from Indonesia in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.

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