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The first Mitsubishi electric car to be sold outside Japan and China since the i-MiEV has reportedly been confirmed to launch in the United States in 2026, likely as a twin to the new-generation Nissan Leaf.
Electric Cars
Mitsubishi has reportedly confirmed it will launch its upcoming small electric SUV in the United States in 2026 – though it is unclear if it will be offered in Australia.
Automotive News reports Mitsubishi announced during the National Automotive Dealers Association held last week its Japanese-made electric car will launch in the US in the second half of 2026.
It will launch alongside a lifted off-road version of the Outlander mid-size SUV – while a cheaper variant of the 15-year-old Outlander Sport (ASX) small SUV is being explored following the discontinuation of the Mirage, one of America's cheapest cars.
A source told Automotive News the electric car will be a couple-styled small SUV "similar to the planned Nissan Leaf replacement", which will be unveiled later this year.
It will be the first battery-electric model from the brand to be sold outside of Japan and China since the i-MiEV hatch was launched in 2009, before the Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf.
The Nissan Leaf is expected to switch to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi CMF-EV architecture shared with the Nissan Ariya, seeing the introduction of modern electric-car technologies, including larger batteries, faster charging, an improved driving range, and active cooling for its batteries.
Mitsubishi has confirmed it will offer electric vehicles in Australia by the end of the decade – along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid models – but it is unknown if this will include a Nissan Leaf-based SUV.
"Australia is a core market for MMC [Mitsubishi Motors Corporation], and it makes an important contribution to our global business," Mitsubishi global product strategy chief Koichi Namiki said in June 2024.
"We will offer not only battery-electrics, but also plug-in hybrids and hybrids, and introduce appropriate products that will meet the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) set by the Australian Government."
Mitsubishi Australia has axed the current ASX, Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport due to a new safety rule being enforced on 1 March 2025 – but it says it will have enough stock of these vehicles to last until the end of the year.
It has committed to launching eight new and refreshed models by the end of the decade with a continued presence in the segments it currently competes in: small SUVs, mid-size SUVs, large SUVs, and utes.
Electric Cars Guide
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
