Mitsubishi begins production of L100 Minicab EV in Indonesia

Earlier this year, Mitsubishi announced that it would begin building its Minicab MiEV Kei car commercial EV in Indonesia. Not only does it signify Mitsubishi's plan to offer a commercial EV in Southeast Asia, but it also marks the first time the Minicab MiEV will be built outside Japan.

Fast forward before 2023 ends, production of the commercial EV has officially begun in Indonesia. Production of the Minicab EV (AKA the L100 EV in Indonesia) officially began last week at the PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia (MMKI) factory. It is set to go on sale in Q4 of fiscal year 2023 which means it will likely be available by the end of March next year.

“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. 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,” said Takao Kato, president & CEO of Mitsubishi Motors.

Official specifications for the Indonesian-made L100 EV have yet to be revealed. However, it will most likely have similar specifications as the ones made in Japan. That means we can expect it to be available with a battery pack rated for 10.5 kWh or 16 kWh. The former has a range of around 100 km while the latter has an estimated range of about 150 km on a full charge.

It has a single electric motor that puts out a respectable 41 PS along with 196 Nm of torque. Despite its small size, the mini commercial EV has a payload capacity of 350 kg and has interior dimensions that measure 935mm long, 1360mm wide, and 1125mm tall (1230mm for tall roof versions).

With the L100 EV set to go on sale in Indonesia next year, we wonder if Mitsubishi Philippines will be able to bring the commercial vehicle here. Since the automaker already sources the Xpander and Xpander Cross from our ASEAN neighbor, perhaps it could be just a matter of when rather than if.