Australians can now purchase the fully-electric iMiev for a one-off up-front price of $49K.

Despite the hefty pricetag for what essentially is a sub-light hatch with a battery pack and electric motor, the Mitsu is the cheapest of its kind available locally; the next (and only) fully-electric car being the $200K Tesla Roadster.

Although introduced to Oz in 2009, the iMiev hasn’t yet been available to the public – until now only a select few companies have been able to lease the 110 iMievs imported to this country.However the iMiev is now available to the buying public. Mitsubishi estimates it will cost approximately $4 to fully charge the iMiev’s batteries, via a 15-amp powerpoint taking eight hours, or a fast-charge recharge station that halves that time. For that, drivers get a range of just over 100 kilometres.

The new up-front pricing coincides with an iMiev facelift – it now scores new alloys, dark-tinted headlights, and the keyless start system has been replaced by a regular insert-and-twist key, after several drivers drained the batteries having not realised their silent iMiev was still running.Although the iMiev’s cost is high, many predict the price of full-electric cars to fall dramatically in the coming years. In 2012, Nissan will launch its fully-electric Tiida-sized Leaf in Australia, for “top of the range Prius and CT200h prices” according to Nissan. That circa-$55K pricetag will no doubt force Mitsubishi to lower the iMiev’s price even further, since the Leaf is far roomier, better equipped, faster and offers a greater range than its fellow Japanese rival.