Some bits of good news come with a head scratcher. At the New York Auto Show today, Mitsubishi announced that the all-electric i will start at just $27,990 in the U.S. Once you take off the $7,500 federal tax credit, this drops the i's price to an eye-catching $20,490. That's the price for the entry-level ES trim. If you swap those letters around and get the SE version, which comes with a better sound system, fog lamps, special interior design touches and more, you'll have to pony up $2,000 more. There will also be an SE Premium version available for another $2,790 that will offer DC fast charging (get an 80 percent charge in half an hour – a key selling point for some people), an HDD nav system and even better entertainment/audio options. On any model, an extra $150 also gets you the Cold Zone package, made up of a battery warming system and headed outside mirrors.
So, what's the head scratcher? To place an order, you have to visit the i reservation site starting tomorrow (Earth Day) and pay two deposits: $299 for the car and $99.99 for a required home inspection. Mitsubishi will waive the $100 fee for the first 2,000 people who place an order and then buy the car. Granted, this isn't all that strange. The bizarre thing is, according to the press release, Mitsubishi is only accepting one type of payment for this transaction: PayPal. Thanks, Elon.
Mistubishi is already selling the global version of the i – the i-MiEV – around the world, in places like Costa Rica, Japan and Europe. Prices vary (and the North American i is larger and has better "highway manners"), but $20,490 is the lowest out there.
*UPDATE: We just got confirmation that the price listed above does not include the destination charge, which might be around $720 (based on Mitsubishi's gas-powered vehicles), said Mitsubishi spokesman Maurice Durand. The goal was to get the after-tax incentive price down to $19,990, but the earthquake prevented this. Also, we have a timeline: the first demo units will be available this November, and the car should be at dealerships in January 2012.