Mitsubishi has been showing off and field testing its iMiEV electric car this year in preparation for a limited production launch in 2009-10. To help spread the word, the Japanese automaker has launched a new micro-site dedicated to the battery powered micro-car. On the site, Mitsubishi explains some of the technology choices made for the oddly named car. The iMiEV uses a lithium ion battery pack mounted under the floor to provide a range of about 100 miles. The i that the iMiEV is based on features a rear mounted engine which is replaced with a permanent magnet motor driving the rear wheels. The batteries are coming from a new joint venture between Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa. The site also features videos about the car and a paper craft version that you can make for yourself. Domenick is evaluating that one in the AutoblogGreen garage right now and will have a full review shortly. Thanks for the tip Yanquetino!

[Source: Mitsubishi]

The biggest name in shopping malls in Japan is set to install electric vehicle charging spots in its parking lots after entering negotiations with car-makers Mitsubishi and Fuji Heavy Industries, builders of the iMiEV and R1e, respectively. Starting with the Lakeland mall currently under construction in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, Aeon will add to its list of environmental programs by giving EV drivers the opportunity to juice up while they are doing their shopping. According to reports, the charging equipment to be used will have the ability to fill batteries much quicker than the plug at Japanese homes, taking only an hour to do the job rather than the more typical 7-14 hours.This equipment sounds to us like something Nissan might be interested in looking into as it explores EV charging infrastructure in Japan.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

Mitsubishi has added a new corporate tag-line, but unfortunately it doesn't really roll of the tongue the way Mazda's Zoom-Zoom does. According to Mitsubishi, the Drive@earth line is meant to represent two things. The first is the company's heritage of helping people get anywhere on the planet, particularly with its four wheel drive vehicles. Mitsubishi vehicles have certainly proven themselves over the years in rallying with cars like the World Rally Championship Lancer EVO and the Dakar Rally-winning Pajero.

The second aspect is a recognition of the environment and issues relating to it. Mitsubishi is at the forefront of trying to develop affordable, mainstream electric vehicles. The company hopes to bring the iMiEV to market as early as 2009 and is also working on clean diesel engines and more efficient gas engines.

While the intent is certainly laudible, Drive@earth just seems a little clumsy. Perhaps something was lost in the translation. Hopefully they didn't pay a consultant too much money for this line that might have been better spent on the production development of iMiEV and other clean vehicles.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

From the outside looking in, electric car development programs seem to proceed at a snail's pace and are filled with many ambiguous meanderings. Even when company executives make lots of public statements, the waters stay muddied. A recent interview with Tohru Hashimoto, Corporate General Manager of the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle business or the "MiEV Promotion Office" conducted by Stephen Clemenger and published on the EV World website, refreshingly goes some way to shed light on the reasons behind many of the decisions taken by that company - as well as it's path ahead.

After a brief history of Mitsubishi's involvement with battery electric cars since the 1960s and its more recent development program featuring the Colt EV MIEV and Lancer Evolution MIEV, Hashimoto explaines that they want to introduce an electric car to the "real market" as soon as possible. Some of the other, more significant points made are as follows;

• Mitsubishi would like to have a "lease type agreement" with individual customers (yes, we can hear your groans)
• A larger model iMiEV is in the works though the focus will be on the current configuration (pictured above) until after it launches
• In-wheel motors should be used by Mitsubishi in 5 to 10 years though a smaller companies may use them sooner
• Mitsubishi will add a range extender in future for larger models though it is unlikely to be a fuel cell (yes, we can hear your cheers)
• Mitsubishi has no interest in making Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and will continue to manufacture cars with doors and seating for four (more cheers)
  

If you have the time for the entire interview click on the "read" link below and gain more insight into Mitsubishi's electric car future through the eyes of Tohru Hashimoto. Also, check out this morning's official statement from Mitsubishi on working with Peugeot on electric cars.

[Source: EV World]

We heard yesterday about reports in a Japanese newspaper that PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation would be working together on electric cars. Today, Mitsubishi and Peugeot released a statement describing their joint efforts, and it gives us a better idea of what we can expect:

• The project "will run over several months, relates to the development, the manufacture and the use of an electric powertrain for small urban vehicles."
• Working on EVs together " would be mutually beneficial."

The full details are available after the jump. PSA will bring its experience with EVs and electric powertrains to the joint effort, and Mitsubishi will contribute work from its Lithium Energy Japan joint venture (with GS Yuasa) "which is to supply large capacity and high performance lithium ion batteries for the i MiEV" (above). But wait, "over several months"? Is that all? Does this mean we're close to seeing results or just that the two companies only want to share a little bit of their own information?

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsuibshi i MiEV.

Previous G8 summits have seen talk about biofuels and GEM electric vehicles. This year, the EVs are getting a bit of an upgrade, with ten Mitsubishi i MiEV electric vehicles available for officials at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Japan in early July. Media representatives covering the conference will also be able to ride in the zero-emission jellybeans. MItsubishi said in a statement (after the jump) that it hopes "attendees of the G8 Summit will find a new appreciation for the superior practicality and environmental viability of electric vehicles."

The Summit will cover a wide variety of topic, from environmental concerns to African development to the world economy. The Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda (also the G8 Summit chair), said that, "Global warming is a huge challenge, and humanity has no time to lose. The international community must urgently strengthen efforts to resolve this issue." He hopes that a Japanese proposal called the Cool Earth Promotion Programme will pick up support in Hokkaido.

Whilst some of us were hobnobbing about L.A. and driving a Tesla Roadster, others of us at ABG had to content ourselves with watching the Mitsubishi i MiEV drive around of New York city via a free download from iTunes. The fact that it was available in high definition (HD), as well as standard definition (SD), helped soothe the soul slightly. Of course it's not the same as actually driving the car in NYC, which we've also done, but the having the camera in a chase car helps give this film more of that 3rd person point of view. If you're one of the tens of millions of folks who has iTunes on your computer, click here. If you're not, click here and download it so you can watch. Thanks to Yanqetino for the tip!




[Source: Mitsubishi via iTunes]

If you live in the UK and have been pining for a chance to buy the i-MiEV all-electric city car when it appears on your shores, now is the time to register your interest with Mitsubishi. According to poster Nikki on the Electric Vehicle Discussion List (EVDL) Mitsubishi has told her (I'm assuming it's a "her") the cars may arrive as early as Q1 next year. Quantities will be extremely limited at first so if you are sure you want one you should take immediate action by clicking here and give them all your contact info. Curiously, Misubishi refers to the car as the "i-EV" on this site.

If you live in the U.S., there isn't anywhere to officially declare our purchasing intentions though unofficially you can always sign this petition to Mitsubishi and hope that gets their attention. We'll let you know if it does.



[Source: EVDL via G-Wiz Owners Club]

Click on the image for high-res shots

Mitsubishi has an admirable performance record with their off-road Pajero Evolution, racking up a record 12 Dakar wins since 1985. Why is the vehicle relevant to the green audience? This year, Mitsubishi has installed a new 260 horsepower three-liter turbo diesel V6 engine, which is a derivative of their previous gas-powered six cylinder engine. Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart considers this new engine part of a green initiative, with the team's new president, Osamu Nakayama, saying, "Our motor sports activity has taken a step up to establish the environmentally-friendly engineering strategy of Mitsubishi Motors." Mitsubishi believes that this new racing engine will further their research into non-food sourced biodiesel, which is something we can appreciate. They also have an Outlander chase vehicle running on diesel fuel. Hit the break for the press release.

Click in the image to enlarge

London's Congestion Charge has drawn ire from some manufacturers, but others are doing something to help alleviate the "financial burden" the charges place on their customers. According to Jim Tyrrell, Mitsubishi's Managing Director, "The vast majority of our customers run a 4x4 for a specific purpose – not simply as a fashion item. We have worked hard to reduce the emissions levels wherever we can to help minimize any negative financial impact on the thousands of businesses that have chosen to use our pick-ups."

In line with this statement, new Mitsubishi L200s equipped with a manual transmission and not fitted with the Rallitronic power upgrade will now come with a 225 g/km CO₂ emissions rating, placing them in a lower Congestion Charge band. Before the modifications to the L200, drivers would be forced to pay £25 per day for trips into London; now the charge will be £8 per day.

The TfL Congestion Charge on dual purpose double cab pick-ups will be effective starting October 6th, 2008 and will be retroactive, meaning that older pickups will face the same penalty as brand new ones.


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Click on the image for more high-res shots

Mitsubishi hinted at the fact that they were considering using their twin-clutch Sports Shift Transmission (SST) in an SUV when they showed their Concept-cX compact SUV concept in Frankfurt last year. While we don't have any news to report as to the Concept-cX, we do have an official announcement that the SST will be making its way into the Outlander, at least in the U.K. This is the same transmission that is found in the awe-inspiring Lancer Evolution, which is available in the U.S., so we have hopes that the Outlander will get this option in the states too. An Outlander equipped with the SST and paddle shifters will be shown at the Paris Motor Show in early October and will officially go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. When paired with the 2.2 Di-D engine, we're sure that the emissions and consumption numbers will be low.


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Here in the good ol' U.S. of A., police cars are usually the largest vehicles available, with full frames and big V8 engines. It seems that something smaller and more economical will do for London's Metropolitan Police. According to their tests, the newest Lancer with the 2.0 liter DI-D diesel engine would perform admirably for police duty, earning a "Class 1 Pass for performance, brake pad wear, handling and localised component durability," according to the report.

While we recognize that American roads are quite different from those in the U.K., we also believe that a more modern vehicle could serve our police just as well as their standard-fare Crown Vic. It's worked out pretty well for taxi drivers so far.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

The Lancashire Constabulary has ordered four Mitsubishi Outlanders powered by the 2.2 liter diesel engine option for their "rural patrol" vehicles. According to Chris Malkin, Fleet & Transport Manager from Lancashire Constabulary, the Outlander won out due to its "high mpg with low carbon emissions, a reduced environmental impact and low running costs." Malkin also mentioned the Outlander's solid safety scores and high level of standard equipment as reasons that it was chosen.

We're not sure what vehicles were replaced, but we can be sure that the emissions were reduced in the switch. Each year, emissions standards get tougher so the air is cleaner as older fleets are replaced with new vehicles.

[Source: Car Pages]

Since Mitsubishi first introduced the i concept back in 2003 it has been the subject of much speculation. Would it come to America? Would it be sold in the U.K.? Is it even any good? And that's just the gas version. The electric version, the i MiEV, has caused even more confabulation. Soon we will have our own opportunity to get up close and personal with these little machines when they make their North American debut at the New York International Auto show this coming week.

Hopefully, we'll even get news from Mitsubishi about their plans for selling these cars in the U.S. I mean, they can't just wave them under our noses and then whisk them away back to Japan. I think they've noticed that 42,000 people have put deposits down on a Smart ForTwo that gets the same mileage as the i but holds two fewer passengers for about the same price. I also think we'll be paying close attention to what side of the car the steering wheel is on.



[Source: Kicking Tires]

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have had a deal to jointly build mini-cars for a while now. In Tokyo yesterday, the two companies announced they would expand this agreement. Starting this fall, Mitsubishi will supply Nissan with the Pajero mini SUV on an OEM basis. Additionally, both companies will consider collaborating on small, light commercial vehicles. You can read the details in the press release after the jump, but note that the Pajero mini really is the kei-car-like SUV and not the larger one which you can see in the gallery below.