A new EV is coming from Mitsubishi, once known for its SUVs and performance-oriented cars like the Lancer evolution and 3000GT but most recently languishing, especially in the U.S.
The new EV, to be based on the next-generation Nissan Leaf – Mitsubishi and Nissan are still part of an alliance and can share product development and components – will be the company’s first all-electric model since the subcompact iMiEV city car that was sold in the U.S. late 2011 through the 2017 model year.
Mitsubishi said the new EV will be on sale in mid-2026. It likely will be assembled in Tennessee, where Nissan builds the Leaf, and will be sold in the U.S. and Canada. (Conversely, Nissan hs said it will introduce a 2026 Rogue PHEV using Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid technology.)
The Mitsubishi EV will join the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in Mitsubishi’s electrified stable. The Outlander PHEV was introduced in 2013 as the industry’s first plug-in hybrid SUV didn’t make it to the U.S. until 2018, when it faced competition from newer plug-in hybrid SUVs from the likes of Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and BMW.
Mitsubishi isn’t disclosing much about the new EV except to confirm that it is coming. Info on name, design, power, range and pricing won’t be released until closer to the mid 2026 launch.
Some Mitsubishi EV Guesswork
But as its based on the upcoming new Leaf, we can confidently speculate that the 2026 Mitsubishi EV it will have a sort of tall sedan-hatchback-crossover body style and, quite likely, at least one trim that boasts more than 300 miles of range. We know it will be a compact five seater and that it will will have the NACS charging system developed by Tesla and recently adopted as the universal chargng system for new EVs.
The 2026 Leaf is supposed to be priced in the $35,000-$45,00o range, but that was before the Trump Administration imposed hefty tariffs on imported autos and imported auto parts – tariffs that likely will impact the U.S.-built Leaf and Mitsubishi EVs. Still, we expect the new Mitsubishi EV to be priced competitively with whatever Nissan decides to do with the new Leaf.
Moving Forward
Mitsubishi recently adopted a North American business plan it calls Momentum 2030. It promised the launch of “a new or significantly revised vehicle every year between 2026 and 2030.”
The refreshed and tech-updated 2025 Outlander SUV was the first, even it was a model year early, and the new Mitsubishi EV will be second in the Momentum 2030 plan.
That plan, designed to reinvigorate Mitsubishi’s North American operations, also calls for more electrified vehicles in the lineup along with an expended lineup and a modernized retail sales network that together can lead to expansion of the dealership network and a growth in sales.
We’ve looking forward to testing and reporting on Mitsu’s new EV, with a name for it by then, we hope!