Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/best-buy-geek-squad-mitsubishi-i-miev/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/best-buy-geek-squad-mitsubishi-i-miev/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/03/best-buy-geek-squad-mitsubishi-i-miev/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Mitsubishi Geek Squad i-MiEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

While Mitsubishi didn't unveil any new vehicles at the LA Auto Show today, company president Osamu Masuko did announce the latest step in his company's plan to bring plug-in vehicles to North America. The vehicle - well, one of them - is an all-electric i-MiEV plastered with Best Buy's Geek Squad logo. The electronics giant will start using them in January (after they're shown off at CES) at some Geek Squad locations in California. Details have not yet been totally worked out, but the Geek EVs will start with a fleet of four vehicles and then expand and rotate to other stores over the course of three years. Most likely, the i-MiEVs will be doled out in pairs and the probable early cities where these vehicles will make house calls include Chicago, New York, Portland and San Francisco.

Best Buy plans to use the i-MiEVs just like any other fleet car, with the exception that they will be right-hand drive. Best Buy's Senior Vice President of emerging business, Rick Rommel, told AutoblogGreen that the idea is to learn "how these will fit into a Geek's daily life." The plug-in vehicle tests with Geek Squad are unrelated to how select West Coast Best Buy stores are selling electric bikes. That said, Rommel admits that the key thing is that Best Buy likes to conduct new experiments, and these EVs fit into that general concept.


Gallery: Best Buy Geek Squad i-MIEV


Live photos copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 la auto show2009LaAutoShowbest buybest buy electric vehiclesbest buy evsBest Buy Inc.Best Buy StoresBestBuyBestBuyElectricVehiclesBestBuyEvsBestBuyInc.BestBuyStoresGeek SquadGeekSquadi-mievimievla 2009la auto showLA Auto Show 2009la showLa2009LaAutoShowLaAutoShow2009LaShowlashow2009mievmitsumitsubishimitsubishi imievMitsubishiImievosamu masukoOsamuMasukoPX-MiEVrick rommelRickRommelThu, 03 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo is bigger, o-kei!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/21/mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-tokyo-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/21/mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-tokyo-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/21/mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-tokyo-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

You can make anything bigger and better if you just add a hump, and that's what Mitsubishi has done to its i-MiEV to create the i-MiEV Cargo.

For those who find Ford's Transit Connect simply too monstrous and don't want to pay for gas - like, oh, a commercial concern in Tokyo - Mitsu's battery-powered i-MiEV could be the perfect solution. Growing only in height compared to its hatchback sibling, the thing is tiny but still packs 62 cubic feet of cargo space in its Quasimodo back end - that's a little less than half the Transit Connect's space. That said, we have to wonder how much a full cargo load will negatively effect the i-MiEV's range and overall performance.

Read all about the Cargo's big smallness in the press release after the jump, and have a gander at it in the gallery of high-res photos below.


Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo


Photos copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo is bigger, o-kei!

Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo is bigger, o-kei! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternativealternative energyAlternativeEnergyi-mievi-miev cargoI-mievCargoimievmitsubishiMitsubishi i MievMitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo ConceptMitsubishiI-mievCargoConceptMitsubishiIMievtokyotokyo 2009Tokyo Motor ShowTokyo2009TokyoMotorShowvanWed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo concept ready to move your eco-friendly goods]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/tokyo-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-concept-ready-to-move-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/tokyo-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-concept-ready-to-move-you/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/tokyo-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-cargo-concept-ready-to-move-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


2009 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Alongside its production i-MiEV people-mover, Mitsubishi will be showing another baker's dozen of new vehicles in its display at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show next month. On display will be several production cars as well as two brand new concepts based on the i-MiEV powertrain, including the i-MiEV Cargo seen here.

Looking something like a larger, more modern Nissan S-Cargo, it's a smaller option for folks who might not need something as big as a Ford Transit Connect. Whether for small business duty or family recreation, the Cargo adds a big box of usefulness to the basic MiEV platform. And yet it's very funky, like a Citröen C15 for Mars. It's cute and functional and we can't see any good reason why Mitsu shouldn't build it. There's a rather short presser after the jump and a gallery of high-res pics for you to peruse below as well.


Gallery: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo Concept


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo concept ready to move your eco-friendly goods

Tokyo Preview: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo concept ready to move your eco-friendly goods originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Concept PX-MiEVConceptPx-mievi mievi MiEV CargoIMievIMievCargoMiEV CargoMievCargomitsubishiMitsubishi Concept PX-MiEVmitsubishi i mievMitsubishi i MiEV CargoMitsubishiConceptPx-mievMitsubishiIMievMitsubishiIMievCargoPX-MiEVWed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Frankfurt Preview: Peugeot iOn is French for "Mitsubishi iMiEV"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/frankfurt-preview-peugeot-ion-is-french-for-mitsubishi-imiev/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/frankfurt-preview-peugeot-ion-is-french-for-mitsubishi-imiev/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/frankfurt-preview-peugeot-ion-is-french-for-mitsubishi-imiev/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Peugeot iOn electric vehicle - Click above for high-res image

Mitsubishi and Peugeot aren't exactly strangers to each other. Remember, for example, that the current Peugeot 4007 SUV is just a reskinned Mitsubishi Outlander. Apparently, that collaboration has worked out well so far, because the two are planning a new project together, only this one figures to be a lot "greener," as it involves the introduction of the Peugeot iOn in Frankfurt. If the iOn pictured above looks familiar, that's because it's simply the Mitsubishi iMiEV sporting Peugeot's lion badge in front. The French carmaker plans to launch the lithium ion battery-powered electric kei car in Europe at the end of 2010.

With 64 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of instantaneously available torque, Pug officials say the iOn's range will be 130 km (approx. 80 miles) on a full charge. Plugging the car into a conventional 220V outlet will give it a full recharge in six hours. A fast-charger system will also be available, and Peugeot says that it will allow the urban runabout to be charged to 80% capacity in jst 30 minutes. Will Europeans discover that they have a taste for electric-flavored jellybeans? We certainly enjoyed the Mitsubishi version when we drove it, and we'll have live coverage of the car's reception at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. You can check out a high-res version of the image above by clicking on it, or the official press release after the jump.

[Source: Peugeot]

Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: Peugeot iOn is French for "Mitsubishi iMiEV"

Frankfurt Preview: Peugeot iOn is French for "Mitsubishi iMiEV" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>frankfurt 2009frankfurt motor showfrankfurt previewFrankfurt2009FrankfurtMotorShowFrankfurtPreviewimievionmitsubishi imievMitsubishiImievpeugeot ionPeugeotIonPSATue, 08 Sep 2009 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[New York: Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV will come to U.S.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/09/new-york-mitsubishi-confirms-i-miev-will-come-to-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/09/new-york-mitsubishi-confirms-i-miev-will-come-to-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/09/new-york-mitsubishi-confirms-i-miev-will-come-to-u-s/#commentsFiled under: ,


Mitsubishi i MiEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

At a press conference in a few minutes here at the New York Auto Show, Mitsubishi representatives will officially announce that the i-MiEV electric vehicle - already a hit in test drives and displays the world over - will be coming to the U.S. This move has been hinted at for a long while, but now we know for certain that the electric jellybean, based on the "i" minicar, is coming. Official details are scarce, but company representatives told us ahead of schedule that the car would be available here sometime "before 2012." The problem isn't the technology (a left-hand drive model should go on sale in Europe in 2011 after the right-hand model hits Japan this summer and the UK, maybe in 2010), but rather guaranteeing a supply of lithium for the car's batteries. If GS Yuasa can't produce the batteries, then Mitsubishi can't make the cars. Mitsubishi recently upped production plans in order to make 20,000 units a year. But don't get too attached to the i-MiEV name (which stands for "Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle"); when this car comes to the U.S., it'll get a fresh moniker.

Speaking of the iMiEV; it looks like AutoblogGreen readers know a good thing when they see one. The iMiEV dominated our recent poll of which car should win the World Green Car of the Year over the Honda FCX Clarity and the Toyota iQ. The judges of the event, though, disagreed and picked the hydrogen fuel cell Clarity as the 2009 winner this morning.


Gallery: New York 2009: iMiEV


Gallery: i-MiEV in HD


Show photos Copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading New York: Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV will come to U.S.

New York: Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV will come to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>i mievimievimiev usImievUsmievmitsubishimitsubishi electric carmitsubishi imiev electric carmitsubishi imiev usMitsubishiElectricCarMitsubishiImievElectricCarMitsubishiImievUsThu, 09 Apr 2009 09:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Japan reportedly pondering $3,000 green car stimulus program for consumers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/07/japan-reportedly-pondering-3-000-green-car-stimulus-program-for/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/07/japan-reportedly-pondering-3-000-green-car-stimulus-program-for/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/07/japan-reportedly-pondering-3-000-green-car-stimulus-program-for/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

The U.S. automotive market is in a rut the size of the Grand Canyon, but it's not alone. Most nations are experiencing lackluster sales, and the Japanese car market is experiencing its own free fall. As a direct result, Reuters is reporting that government authorities are looking at steps to help its domestic industry with a range of consumer subsidies for the purchase of efficient vehicles. Up to 300,000 yen ($3,000 US) in breaks are available for buyers of electric or hybrid vehicles, along with gas and diesel engines that reach certain clean air and efficiency standards.

Among the monetary incentives on the table is a 100,000 yen ($1,000 U.S.) subsidy for the purchase of a kei-class mini vehicle with a 660 cc or smaller powerplant. Larger vehicles that qualify under the plan would receive twice that amount. Car buyers in the Land of the Rising Sun would also eligible to receive an additional 100,000 yen if they turn in a 13-year-old (or older) vehicle for a vehicle that applies under the plan. Japanese officials are reportedly looking to institute the subsidies by summertime, with the assistance available through March 2010. The initiative will reportedly be announced as part of a larger Japanese stimulus package later this April.


Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius


[Source: Reuters]

Japan reportedly pondering $3,000 green car stimulus program for consumers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric vehicleElectricVehiclehybridimievjapanjapanese car salesJapaneseCarSalesJDMpriusTue, 07 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Geneva Preview: Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT AIR concept]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/geneva-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-sport-air-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/geneva-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-sport-air-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/geneva-preview-mitsubishi-i-miev-sport-air-concept/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for a hi-res gallery of i MiEV Sport Air renderings

In March at the Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi will unveil the i MiEV SPORT AIR concept, which refines the ideas first displayed in the Tokyo 2007 i MIEV Sport show car.

Details are thin at the moment, but the styling has obviously been tweaked, there's a "clear cutaway" roof, and power comes from a stronger electric motor. The focus with the i MiEV SPORT AIR, as with the preceding i MiEV Sport, is on a more dynamic driving experience.The official press release talks of a low center of gravity and "instant torque" almost as much as it does zero emissions motoring. One wonders whether Mitsubishi has a production version in the pipeline, ready to follow the regular i MiEV. After all, why else would they make a second, more refined-looking version of a 2007 concept?

Gallery: Mitsubishi i MIEV Sport Air


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Geneva Preview: Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT AIR concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airgeneva 2009Geneva2009i mievi miev sport airIMievIMievSportAirsportMon, 26 Jan 2009 13:32:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: PSA will rebadge and sell the Mitsubishi i MiEV in Europe]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/08/report-psa-will-rebadge-and-sell-the-mitsubishi-imiev-in-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/08/report-psa-will-rebadge-and-sell-the-mitsubishi-imiev-in-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/08/report-psa-will-rebadge-and-sell-the-mitsubishi-imiev-in-europe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi i MiEV

France's PSA Group, which includes Peugeot and Citroen, will be jumping into the electric car game in 2011 courtesy of Mitsubishi. The Japanese carmaker will start selling its i MiEV later this year in Japan and will reportedly supply a re-badged version to sell through European dealers. Mitsubishi is planning to start with just 2,000 examples this year, with plans to double that volume each year over the next few years. With the additional volume going to PSA, the total number of cars is expected to double with half going to the French. That will mean Lithium Energy Japan, the JV between Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa will also have to crank up its production volumes. There are already some examples of the iMiEV being tested by electric utilities here in the US, but Mitsubishi hasn't yet committed to actually selling the car here.

Gallery: Mitsubishi i MiEV - Live in NY


[Source: GreenCarCongress]

REPORT: PSA will rebadge and sell the Mitsubishi i MiEV in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>citroenelectric carelectric carselectric-carElectricCarElectricCarsimievmitsubishimitsubishiimievpeugeotpsaThu, 08 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota throws hat into all-electric ring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/03/toyota-throws-hat-into-all-electric-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/03/toyota-throws-hat-into-all-electric-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/03/toyota-throws-hat-into-all-electric-ring/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Toyota is the undisputed leader in the hybrid space, and the Japanese automaker is looking to expand its kingdom by adding an all-electric vehicle to the mix. While there are few details available, Toyota has said the EV would likely be an urban city-type vehicle that will be available in the "early 2010s". Hopefully it will be more accommodating than Toyota's last attempt at an EV: the eCom (above), which used the innards of the RAV4 EV to achieve a top speed of 62 mph and a range of just 60 miles. Toyota's new EV, however, will be preceded in 2009 by the arrival of the brand's first plug-in Prius hybrid.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Toyota throws hat into all-electric ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric vehicleElectricVehicleevimievplug-intoyotavoltWed, 03 Sep 2008 18:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Mitsubishi i MiEV police car has SUPER ARREST POTENTIAL!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/09/mitsubishi-i-miev-police-car-has-super-arrest-potential/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/09/mitsubishi-i-miev-police-car-has-super-arrest-potential/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/09/mitsubishi-i-miev-police-car-has-super-arrest-potential/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click image to enlarge

Somewhere, our pal Mike Bumbeck is smiling, because Mitsubishi has produced yet another vehicle worthy of its classic "Super Potential" slogan. No, there's no new-fangled Starion, unfortunately, but there is now an i MiEV police car. Mitsubishi has supplied one of the teensy EVs to the Kanagawa Prefecture police, who will test it through March of next year. Sure, it's not particularly intimidating, but it is (ahem) arrestingly cute. As mentioned at AutoblogGreen, we'd have had that battery pack power a set of on-board tasers, too. Talk about missed opportunities...

[Source: Mitsubishi via AutoblogGreen]

Mitsubishi i MiEV police car has SUPER ARREST POTENTIAL! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric carElectricCarevi mievIMievkanagawakeimitsubishipolice carPoliceCarWed, 09 Jul 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New York 2008: The Mitsubishi i is A-OKei]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/22/new-york-2008-the-mitsubishi-i-is-a-okei/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/22/new-york-2008-the-mitsubishi-i-is-a-okei/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/22/new-york-2008-the-mitsubishi-i-is-a-okei/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Click image for a high-res gallery of the turbocharged Mitsubishi i

I'm the resident kei car obsessive here at Autoblog. That means I'm the guy who actually thinks, "That is awesome," when he reads the (Google translated) announcement of yet another Suzuki Wagon R variant. Hell, I did two posts on the one-off Hello Kitty Mitsubishi i. Keis are cool. So, you can imagine how happy I was to see that Mitsubishi brought along a small fleet of its i minicars to the New York Auto Show this year.

Foreground: i MiEV, Background: i TurboMitsubishi's focus at the show was squarely on the the all-electric i MiEV, which goes on sale in Japan next year and will be tested in North America this fall. The gasoline-powered version was on hand, too, though. I drove the i MiEV for AutoblogGreen, and was a passenger in a black i Turbo. Head over to AutoblogGreen for driving impressions of the i MiEV, and note that many of the observations there apply to both the electric and gasoline-powered cars.

The i Turbo you see here is powered by a 660cc 3-cylinder that delivers around 64 horsepower. It's got around half the torque of the electric i MiEV and it's buzzier-sounding (obviously), but it felt just as well-suited to city driving in New York as its battery-powered counterpart. It can comfortably transport four adults and a bit of cargo, too. Try doing that in a smart.

Mitsubishi is monitoring public reaction to the cars this week, so if you go to the show and like what you see, make sure to let them know. Me? I'll happily take one in black -- with a DAMD kit for optimum not-exactly-badassedness.

Head to AutoblogGreen for a full i MiEV review and video.

Gallery: Mitsubishi i Turbo - Live in NY


Gallery: Mitsubishi i MiEV - Live in NY


All photos Copyright (C) 2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

New York 2008: The Mitsubishi i is A-OKei originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autoblog greenautobloggreeni mievIMievkei carkei carsKeiCarKeiCarsmievmitsubishi iMitsubishiInew yorknew york 2008NewYorkNewYork2008nyiasnyias 08nyias 2008nyias08nyias2008Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi's i MIEV Sport plug-in]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/tokyo-motor-show-mitsubishis-i-miev-sport-plug-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/tokyo-motor-show-mitsubishis-i-miev-sport-plug-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/tokyo-motor-show-mitsubishis-i-miev-sport-plug-in/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click the above image for more of the i MIEV Sport

Mitsubishi's has given its cute and funky 'i' minicar a sporty makeover with a coupe-like shape and vents on the side to create the i MIEV Sport. Despite being the sports version, it uses the same electric plug-in technology found in the i MIEV, which means two in-wheel motors driving the front wheels, and one motor for the rear. The cab-forward design does make it look like a bubble car, but having navigated Tokyo's streets for the last few days we can totally see it fitting right in.

Gallery: Mitsubishi i MIEV Sport

Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi's i MIEV Sport plug-in originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ii MIEVi MIEV SportIMievIMievSportTokyoTokyo Motor ShowTokyoMotorShowThu, 25 Oct 2007 14:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy Shots: i spied in Canada]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/29/spy-shots-i-spied-in-canada/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/29/spy-shots-i-spied-in-canada/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/29/spy-shots-i-spied-in-canada/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

What you're looking at is a right-hand-drive Mitsubishi i spotted in Toronto, as in Toronto, Canada... as in on the North American continent. Mitsubishi's initial line was that the i would be for the Japan Domestic Market only. Then they exported it to Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei. Then New Zealand. Then Britain. And Australian cities are next in the crosshairs. Wherever it has shown up, it's been a sales sensation, which is handy for Mitsubishi as sales in Japan have slumped to 1,200 cars per month from almost 8,000 per month in March 2006.

So will North America be getting its first 660cc kei car? Not a chance say sources within Mitsubishi's Tokyo HQ. Then the i spied in Toronto is almost certainly a plug-in electric i MiEV undergoing testing. Everyone will have to wait until 2009 or even 2010 to get their hands on one of those, but when they hit markets worldwide they'll have sticker prices under 2million Yen - that's about $17,500 today.

Well spotted Allan!

Spy Shots: i spied in Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadaii mievIMievmitsubishinorth americaNorthAmericatorontoWed, 29 Aug 2007 14:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Mitsubishi looks ahead with an electric i]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/12/mitsubishi-looks-ahead-with-an-electric-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/12/mitsubishi-looks-ahead-with-an-electric-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/12/mitsubishi-looks-ahead-with-an-electric-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Mitsubishi i MiEV

Mitsubishi is going to take good look at the viability of all-electric motoring, this after announcing its plan to sell an all-electric vehicle in the Japan and U.S. in the near future. It has just introduced a new research platform, the i MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle), a four-passenger EV based on the company's podlike i kei car.

The i MieV will make its public debut later this month at a Japanese alternative vehicle conference. After that, two Japanese power companies will be provided with i MiEVs for internal research on how to integrate EVs into their business plans, including the development and deployment of a rapid-charge infrastructure. In January, Mitsubishi will bring in two additional power companies and commence fleet testing with all four to gauge whether or not an EV is a commercially viable proposition for all parties.

The i MiEV electric motor is mounted in the standard engine's rear-midship location and generates 47kW (63 hp) peak power. The car has an operating range of approximately 80 to 100 miles with a top speed of 80 mph and is actually much torquier than its conventionally-powered counterpart, generating 130 lb-ft to the standard i's 69.

(Press release, diagram, specs after the jump)

[Sources: Mitsubishi, LA Times]

Continue reading Mitsubishi looks ahead with an electric i

Mitsubishi looks ahead with an electric i originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric ielectric mitsubishiElectricIElectricMitsubishiev keiEvKeiii electrici EVi MiEVIElectricIEvIMievkei evKeiEvmitsubishi electricmitsubishi evmitsubishi iMitsubishiElectricMitsubishiEvMitsubishiIThu, 12 Oct 2006 17:24:00 EST