EnviroCar

Mitsubishi to launch electric car in US

Every once in a while there comes an automaker who manages to consistently remain resilient even amidst scandals and financial issues. Mitsubishi Motors is one of those automakers. As the smoke settles once again over the company, it now plans to offer the environmentally underserved US market a new electric car.

According to Automotive News, Mitsubishi's small electric car will become available for sale in the United States sometime in the near future, though the exact timeframe has not been determined. It will not however resemble the MIEV Concept it unveiled in Detroit and Geneva in early 2006.

The vehicle will be powered by a lithium-ion battery but may also spawn a gasoline-hybrid version after initial introduction in Japan. Mitsubishi has been testing electric and hybrid vehicles in Japan for some time now but has not yet exported any of its models to the US.

According to the article, Mitsubishi Motors President Masuko believes electric vehicles are the obvious solution to environmental and emissions woes. For the moment, diesel vehicles have not found worldwide acceptance, and fuel cell technology is still far off in future.

Electric vehicles are successful in Japan and have slowly begun to gain acceptance in the UK as it enables their owners to navigate within the congestion zone and park at metered spaces free of charge. Emissions and traditional fuel costs also become a non-issue.

If Mitsubishi is right in believing these vehicles will find buyers in the US, it would certainly be a big step forward in decreasing pollution caused by idling cars in congested urban environments. Let's hope the Americans approve.

posted by Eric @ 3:50 PM