Mitsubishi Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

September 30, 2009

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Mitsubishi Extends MiEV Tech with Plug-in Hybrid Concept

Mitsubishi isn't resting on its laurels after the successful launch in Japan of its i-MiEV electric city car.

The company plans to show two new concept EVs at the upcoming 2009 Tokyo Auto Show - a mini-cargo van built off the i-MiEV minicar platform, and a four-seat plug-in hybrid crossover it is calling the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV (right).

The PX - Mitsubishi's nameplate shorthand for plug-in crossover - is the first big-vehicle use of the company's "Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle" technology, or MiEV.

Quiet Carrier

The i-MiEV Cargo concept is a pretty simple one: a slightly stretched i-MiEV with a cargo box behind the front seats.

Electric delivery vans make enormous sense in most cites, where short-haul delivery vehicles don't often travel far from home, spend a lot of time idling, and rarely are driven at high speeds.

Replace the gas or diesel engine and fuel tank with an elecric mtor and batteries and you've got a quiet, non-polluting cargo carrier that's a whole lot cheaper to operate than one with an internal combustion engine.

We hope this is one concept that Mitsubishi will put on the road, soon.

Plug Me In

The big news though, would be a decision to turn the PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid concept into the real thing.

As Mitsubishi describes it, the PX would use a 1.6-liter gas engine and a pair of electric motors, one front and one rear, and be able to travel in all-electric mode for about 30 miles.

The system would deliver fuel economy of around 120 miles per gallon under Japan's mixed-use test, which is the only number we have but isn't really applicable in the U.S, where highway speeds are higher and account for a larger portion of the drive cycle.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 30, 2009, 2:54 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Japan, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Tokyo Auto Show

September 24, 2009

General Motors, Reva to Collaborate on Electric Car for India Based on Chevy Spark

General Motors and India's Reva Electric Car announced today that they will jointly produce a battery-powered vehicle for South Asia based on the Detroit carmaker's best-selling mini-car, the Chevrolet Spark (pictured).

Under the alliance, GM will provide the vehicle platform and manufacturing facilities for the zero-emissions car, which will begin production next year, while Reva will supply the technology for the battery, electric drivetrain and power management systems.

They did not provide forecasts for production, but GM has the capacity to produce 225,000 vehicles of all types at its two plants in India and has plans to scale up its factory in Maharashtra state by an additional 160,000 vehicles.

GM, which is also due to launch its plug-in Chevrolet Volt in the U.S. next year, joins a growing list of the world's major carmakers that are due to launch electric cars over the next three years as part of their carbon-cutting strategy.

Some, including Japan's Mitsubishi Motors, have already launched them.

Last week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault announced that it was launching four electric vehicles in 2011-12. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz showed planned battery-powered luxury models.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 24, 2009, 3:58 PM
Categories:: Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, General Motors, India, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Reva
Technorati Tags:: Audi

September 14, 2009

Source: Initial 1,400 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Vehicles Have Been Spoken For

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has received pre-orders for all of the 1,400 electric i-MiEV plug-in electric vehicles scheduled to be made this model year, according to someone close to the matter.

The urban electric, zero-emissions i-MiEV launched in Japan in July of this year with the delivery of about 50 i-MiEV four-seaters, running on newly developed lithium-ion batteries, to government, utility offices and companies around Tokyo.

They represent the first of 1,400 of the eye-catching EVs that Mitsubishi expects the sell through the end of this year, when it will ramp up for sales to the general public, first in Japan and then globally. Mitsubishi has said it expects to sell 5,000 i-MiEVs in Japan and export 1,000 in 2010.

Mitsubishi began taking pre-orders for the i-MiEV through its dealer network on July 31 and within one month had received 900 pre-orders, the source said.

The company has said it wants to start selling the i-MiEV in the U.S. sometime in 2011. The automaker sees an opportunity to gain major traction in the zero-emissions-vehicle, or ZEV, arena at a time when many other car companies are focusing on hybrids or fuel-cell vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 14, 2009, 1:09 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Greenest Car Show Begins Previews Tuesday

Hyundai Motors' ix-Metro Hybrid city car is one of several dozen 'green' cars and concepts debuting at Frankfurt show.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

This week's Frankfurt Auto Show promises to be the greenest major auto show to date - a showcase for fuel efficiency improvements and alternative powertrains that are coming to the forefront as the mainstream auto industry finally begins coming to grips with the need to begin weaning itself - and us - from petroleum.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 14, 2009, 1:49 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Citroen, Diesel, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

September 4, 2009

Citroen to Sell EV Based on Mitsubishi's i-MiEV; Vehicle Slated to Launch Next Year

The chief executives of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and PSA Peugeot Citroen signed an agreement today in Paris that will allow Citroen to sell a version of an electric vehicle based on Mitsubishi's i-MiEV.

Mitsubishi launched the i-MiEV plug-in electric vehicle in Japan in June and will begin global sales of the right-hand-drive vehicle later this year.

The company plans to offer a left-hand-drive version of the i-MiEV next year.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen are collaborating on an EV that will be based on the i-MiEV. The agreement signed today permits both Peugeot and Citroen to sell versions of the collaboration, with sales to commence next year.

The move will allow Citroen to offer a low-emissions model ahead of its planned 2011 DS5 HYbrid4, a diesel-electric hybrid. More importantly, it will soon give Europeans another choice in an upcoming selection of zero-emissions vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 4, 2009, 1:49 PM
Categories:: Citroen, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

August 20, 2009

NYT Says Toyota Losing EV Race, but Fails to Mention Automaker's Battery Deals

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

The New York Times is reporting today something we've been saying for months: That Toyota, maker of the mighty Prius hybrid and the No. 1 automaker worldwide by volume of units sold, is falling behind in the race to bring all-electric vehicles to market.

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Right, Toyota sold the RAV4 EV sport ute from 1997-2203.
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The article notes that Mitsubishi Motors has begun leasing its i-MiEV and that Nissan is set to leave its EV next year. But when oh when is Toyota's? 2012 is the answer the automaker gives.

The article quotes Masatami Takimoto, Toyota's executive vice president, as saying earlier this year that the electric car's "time is not here."

Electric cars "face many challenges," he said, adding that "to commercialize pure EV's, we need a battery that far exceeds the current technology."

Predictably, the Times reporter turned to EV proponents and analysts who have no experience running an automaker, let alone one that manufactured and sold an all-electric SUV from 1997-2003; that would be Toyota's RAV4 EV, many of which are still going strong and enjoy great popularity with their owners.

Which isn't to say the analysts weren't good for some interesting speculation.

"In a world where vehicles run on electrons rather than hydrocarbons, the automakers will have to reinvent their businesses," Russell Hensley, an analyst at the consulting company McKinsey, told clients in a recent report, the Times reported.

The newspaper also quoted analysts as saying that Toyota would like to profit all it can from the current technology before shifting to a new one - which makes sense, doesn't it? - especially because the company is facing a second down year after a loss last year of about $4.4 billion.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 20, 2009, 1:29 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

August 13, 2009

Japanese Companies to Gather Data on EV Drivers' Use of Rapid Chargers

It seems Japan is really getting serious about this EV business.

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Mistubishi's i-MIEV electric car now comes with a rapid-charging port as Japan begins studying fast-charging systems to make EV driving more accessible.
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Both Mitsubishi and Subaru are marketing small electric city cars in the Tokyo-Yokohama area, Nissan is following with its full-service, five-seat Leaf next year and now a trio of companies including Nippon Oil are launching a national test of rapid charging systems for EVs.

The six-month test of EV chargers for Japan's Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry will be conducted in five of Japan's largest prefectures (like counties in the U.S.) and participants will be given (yes, given) Mitsubishi i-MIEV electric cars to drive for the duration.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 13, 2009, 9:21 AM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Japan, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

July 23, 2009

Mitsubishi Launches i-MIEV In Tokyo, Says Goal is Global EV Market Leadership

Subaru Also Introduces its Stella EV in Japan, But on Much Smaller Scale

By Terril Yue Jones, Contributor

TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. launched the modern era's first mass-produced electric vehicle from a major automaker today with plans to sell more EVs than any company ever has and to establish itself as the leader in zero-emissions vehicles.

About 50 i-MiEV four-seaters running on newly developed lithium-ion batteries were delivered to government and utility offices and companies around Japan Thursday, the first of 1,400 EVs that Mitsubishi expects the sell through March, when it will ramp up for sales to the general public, first in Japan and then globally.

Mitsubishi's launch overshadowed a smaller effort by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which manufactures the Subaru brand.

It also launched an EV effort today, delivering five Stella EVs to Japanese government and utility customers. Unlike Mitsubishi, Subaru doesn't plan to produce and sell large numbers of its electric car.

Tokyo Launch

Tokyo Electric Power Co. received four i-MiEVs and two EV Stellas on Thursday.

The power company has been testing both models for about a year and plans to deploy 310 EVs this fiscal year, according to spokesman Daisuke Hirose. Tokyo Electric plans eventually to convert 35 percent of its fleet of 8,500 vehicles to EVs, reducing its CO2 emissions by 2,600 tons per year, Hirose says.

"This isn't an effort to save money, but to protect the environment," said Hirose, noting the higher cost of the EVs compared to conventionally powered cars and trucks.

Japan Post Group, the national mail carrier that was privatized in 2007, took on two i-MiEVs and one Stella Thursday, the first of 20 each it plans to acquire this fiscal year.

Japan Post has been testing the EVs in various geographies and weather conditions to determine appropriate usage. It will deploy almost all of the 40 EVs in Kanagawa Prefecture, the state bordering Tokyo to the south that includes the port city of Yokohama, according to spokeswoman Takumi Niwa.

Electric motors provide good torque, and during a brief test ride in an i-MiEV this week the car showed good responsiveness and impressive acceleration in weekday Tokyo traffic.

Driver Reaction

Keiichi Hayakawa was among those who signed up for a test-drive at a Mitsubishi-sponsored program in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 23, 2009, 11:06 AM
Categories:: Japan, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

July 22, 2009

U.S. Energy Dept. Awards $47 Million in Recovery Act Funding for EV Smart Grids

Also: Illinois, Colorado, Austria announce plans to invest heavily in plug-in infrastructures.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

When it rains, it often pours. That's certainly the case now, as the U.S. Department of Energy, the states of Illinois and Colorado, and an Austrian utility all announced in recent days that they will invest many millions of dollars to create recharging networks for electric vehicles.

That's wonderful news, because it brings electric-vehicle makers and potential EV makers a step closer to solving one of the two major problems they face: That being a lack of infrastructure to support pure EVs and plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.

The other problem remains development of inexpensive, safe, reliable, lightweight and energy-rich batteries to power the vehicles. Many companies and governments are working on a solution to that problem.

The Energy Department on Monday awarded $47 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to eight ongoing smart-grid demonstration projects. The $47 million investment will add to the $17 million in funds DOE had awarded these eight projects last year, thereby accelerating the timelines for the projects.

Most of the projects relate to technologies to help transmission and distribution systems operate better, but a few are directly related to clean energy. For example, the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, will research, develop and demonstrate a coordinated and integrated system of mixed clean energy technologies and distributed energy resources, allowing the city to reduce its peak electrical demand by at least 15 percent.

Meanwhile, the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago will focus on implementing distributed energy resources and creating demand-responsive microgrids, which are small power networks that can operate independently of the utility power grid. In addition, the University of Hawaii will explore the management of its electrical distribution system to better accommodate wind power.

The Energy Department also just released the first Smart Grid System Report, which examines smart-grid deployments nationwide. The findings show that while many smart-grid capabilities are just beginning to emerge, the adoption of various technologies such as smart metering, automated substation controls and distributed generation are growing significantly.

The report also notes that smart-grid capabilities are socially transformational. As with the Internet or cell phone communications, smart-grid technologies have the potential to dramatically change how we experience electricity in the country, but improvements in physical and cyber security and information privacy will require consumers, manufacturers and utilities to closely follow a range of best practices for the smart grid.

Additionally, the Energy Department has begun the development of a Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse, tapping Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for the $1.3 million initiative to develop and maintain the clearinghouse Website, which will provide information to the public about smart-grid initiatives happening nationwide. The Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse was mandated by the Recovery Act.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2009, 12:16 PM
Categories:: BYD, Batteries, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Smart, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

July 10, 2009

PSA Peugeot Citroen Says It Is Not Working With Mitsubishi on Hybrid Components

One joint effort is, apparently, enough.

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen has issued a denial of a report for Japan's Nikkei business news that it is collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors on development of hybrid powertrain components.

"We deny the information...We have our own research into plug-in hybrids," PSA Peugeot Citroen sad in a statement.

The French automaker said the two companies will, however, continue their collaboration on a small electric vehicle that the French company would market in Europe.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 10, 2009, 12:45 PM
Categories:: Citroen, France, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

July 9, 2009

Mitsubishi-PSA Peugeot Citroen Reportedly Collaborating on Plug-In Hybrids

Automakers Already Working Jointly on Battery-Electric Car

Mitsubishi Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, already working together on an electric vehicle for the European markets, have reportedly expanded their collaboration to development and production of components for plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Japan's Nikkei business news says the two intend to jointly build powertrain components and are likely to supply finished hybrid vehicles to each other.

The partnership reportedly would benefit Mitsubishi's development of a plug-in gas-electric SUV and PSA Peugeot-Citroen's work on a diesel-electric car.

Mitsubishi, which declined to comment, also would supply high-capacity lithium-ion batteries to PSA through an affiliate, according to the Nikkei report.

Mitsubishi is already developing a plug-in hybrid car for commercial release by 2013 and intends to begin leasing its I-MIEV battery-electric city car in Japan later this month, with retail sales expected to follow sometime next year.

Collaborative agreements such as the Mitsubishi-PSA deals can only help speed the day when electric and electric-assisted vehicles are no longer curiosities but a significant part of the mainstream automotive marketplace.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 9, 2009, 10:40 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Citroen, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Mitsubshi

June 19, 2009

Plug Me In: Mitsubishi Wants EV Chargers in Parking Lots All Over Japan

Taking a page from fellow EV-maker Nissan's playbook, Mitsubishi Motors says it will collaborate with local governments and businesses in Japan to install a network of battery chargers that can be used by drivers of its rechargeable electric minicar.

The Mitsubishi i-MIEV rolls out next month in limited production for leasing by fleet customers, followed by retail sales in 2010 - first in Japan and then globally.

Nissan, which plans to launch its own EV in the U.S. next year, has been criss-crossing the country seeking government and private partners to facilitate installation of EV chargers in municipal and private parking lots.

Both companies realize that, despite the oft-voiced claim of plug-in electric vehicle backers that there are hundreds of millions of plugs already in existence, most aren't in locations that make them convenient for EV users.

A national network of public chargers is a key ingredient in making EVs realistic transportation of more than a handful of people.

Mitsubishi and Nissan believe that people will be more open to electric vehicles if they see street-side chargers all over major cities such as Tokyo and San Francisco before they ever begin thinking about how an EV might fit into their lives.

Makes sense to us.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell June 19, 2009, 8:49 AM
Categories:: Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EV Chargers

June 4, 2009

Mitsubishi Makes It Official, Details i-MIEV Production Start, Pricing, On-Sale Date

Mitsubishi Motors has officially announced the start of production for its i-MIEV electric city car.

The announcement, which comes hours after the news was broken unofficially in a Japanese newspaper, made it clear that Mitsubishi intends to be first to the market with a commercial EV in Japan - it said leases to commercial fleet customers will begin in early July, while rival Subaru has just announced that its electric Stella minicar will go on sale in late July.

Mitsubishi also plans to sell the i-MIEV globally - including in the U.S. - beginning in 2010, while Subaru is sticking with the Japanese market and in far more limited numbers: 170 Stella EVs this year versus 1,400 i-MIEVs.

The automaker said the 4-passenger battery-electric car is "will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society," a reference to the company's belief that most cars one day will be electric.

Mitsubishi said the sticker price for the i-MIEV will be 4.6 million yen ($46,700) before various tax breaks that will knock the cost to buyers down to about 3 million yen.

The i-MIEV uses a 47-kilowatt, lithium-ion battery that gives it a range of up to 100 miles. Top speed is 80 miles an hour.

The three-way charging system can use a commercial fast charger to bring a depleted battery to 80 percent of charge in 30 minutes, a 220-volt line for a 7-hour charge or a 100-volt line that recharges the battery in 14 hours.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell June 4, 2009, 7:23 PM
Categories:: Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

Mitsubishi Reportedly Begins Production of I-MIEV Electric Car As July Lauch Date Nears

Mitsubishi has begun manufacturing the i-MIEV battery-electric city car it plan to begin leasing to fleet customers in Japan next month, according to a report in Japan's Kyodo News.

The automaker hasn't said anything officially, but the news report cites unidentified Mitsubishi executives as the source of its information.

The report also says that sales of the Mitsubishi EV to consumers in Japan will begin early next year and that the price of the small four-seat EV will be about 4 million yen, the equivalent today of $41,750, with Japanese government subsidies reducing it to about 3 million yen, or $31,300.

Mitsubishi reportedly will begin selling the i-MIEV in global markets in mid-2010.

There's been no official word on U.S. sales, but the company has been testing the car here and the market is too big to ignore.

With Nissan planning to launch an electric car of its own in the U.S. next year, Mitsubishi needs to get its foot in the door as early as possible.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 4, 2009, 11:39 AM
Categories:: Japan, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EVs

May 18, 2009

Are Automakers Finally Seeing the Light? Will Government and Greens See it Too?

Auto Industry Lines Up To Praise National Program Idea, Now the Hard Work Begins

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The auto industry, tired of being seen as the bad guy whenever fuel economy and emissions regulation is on the table, is wasting no time lining up in support of tomorrow's White House announcement on development of a national carbon emissions and fuel efficiency program.

A cynic might think this doesn't bode well for the ultimate result of the rulemaking process that President Obama will outline at a press conference in Washington Tuesday morning: That the auto industry figures it has enough clout left to wring the life out of any effort to significantly improve fuel economy.

But we think it simply shows that an industry on life support and dependent on government largess here and overseas has finally read the writing on the wall and realizes that this is as good as it is ever going to get and that if it doesn't play ball it will have no say in the rules it eventually will have to live by.

Automakers also have been caught in a trap of their own making. They've been fighting California, the national leader in establishing greenhouse gas controls on motor vehicles, insisting that individual states shouldn't be able to set carbon emissions rules and that a national standard is needed.

Now the Obama administration has stepped to the table and said, as the president is wont to: "Okay, let's develop a national rule."

To oppose that would be political suicide.

In that vein, the two lobbying groups representing almost every car maker that does business in the U.S. have jumped on board and are voicing support for the so-called National Program for Autos.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 18, 2009, 6:00 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: National CAFE Plan

May 12, 2009

Better Place Set To Unveil EV Battery Exchange Station in Japan

YOKOHAMA, Japan - We're in Japan for a few days this week to take a look at the city's electric vehicle test project, more specifically to witness the first demonstration of the battery exchange technology that Better Place founder Shai Agassi has been talking about for more than a year now.

Better Place, the Silicon Valley-based company that wants to lead the way into vehicle electrification by providing a global network of battery charging and exchange systems (working country by country, not all at once) is part of a consortium working with officials in Yokohama to establish a real-world center for assessing EV operation.

Mitsubishi Motors and Subaru are providing the cars, Tokyo Electric Power is supplying the juice, and Better Place is providing the means for getting it into the cars.

A temporary exhibit aimed at educating Japan's decision-makers, auto industry leaders and common citizens about electric cars, car charging and other issues is being inaugurated later today and a Better Place battery station will be part of it.

The company's buisness plan envisions some EV owners using on-street charging stations to "top up" the vehicles' batteries for a little extra range during the day when making short trips but exchanging entire depleted battery packs for fresh new ones in automated "battery swap" centers - think of them as full-service gas stations for EVs - when trips are longer and a single charged pack won't do.

Better Place intends to sell prepaid charging and battery swap plans, much the way cell phone companies sell minutes of air time in a variety of packages.

In addition to seeing how it works, we'll be asking Agassi how he plans to field the technology - which depends on a uniform battery mounting system - in markets like the U.S. where fiercdely competitive automakers rarely agree on anything,

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 12, 2009, 6:53 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Japan, Mitsubishi, Phoenix Motorcars, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru, Yamaha
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

April 28, 2009

Mitsubishi Reportedly Will Double i-MiEV Production Schedule by 2013

Here's a report that offers evidence that government-provided incentives can help to grow the market for cleaner, more-efficient vehicles.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. hopes to increase production of its i-MiEV to 30,000 vehicles annually during its 2012/2013 fiscal year, according to a report in the Kyodo News. The Japanese automaker previously said that it would produce 15,000 i-MiEV electric cars during its 2010/2011 fiscal year, according to the newspaper.

Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko told the newspaper that the anticipated production increase is being driven by consumer response to government-funded incentive programs around the world that encourage consumers to purchase low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 28, 2009, 3:56 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Japan, Legislation, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Electric Car

April 22, 2009

Oregon Governor Takes Mitsubish i-MiEV For Spin Around Portland

i-MiEV Oregon Oregonians got a sneak peek at the Mitsubishi i-MiEV earlier today as part of an Earth Day celebration in Portland.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski took the four-passenger electric vehicle for a test drive on city streets.

Earlier this month Mitsubishi Motors North America, Oregon and Portland General Electric announced plans for the state to join in an i-MiEV testing program under way elsewhere in the U.S.

The state will get some i-MiEVs for its motor pool; in return, Mitsubish will receive data on how the small EVs do in a mountainous state with a wet climate along the Pacific Ocean. Mitsubishi Motors has similar agreements with Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric.

Mitsubishi Motors earlier this month confirmed that it will build and sell the battery-electric i-MiEV city car for the U.S.and other global markets. Mitsubishi earlier said that it would begin fleet sales of the tiny four-door in Japan this July, with retail sales expected to follow sometime in 2010.

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 22, 2009, 2:05 PM
Categories:: Japan, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Lithium Ion Batteries

April 9, 2009

Honda FCX Clarity Wins 2009 World Green Car Title at New York Auto Show

Honda Clariity.jpg

And the winner is: Honda FCX Clarity, the 2009 World Green Car.

The announcement was made this morning at the New York Auto Show. The FCX Clarity beat out the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Toyota iQ. The top three finishers were culled from a list of 22 contenders that were nominated by 59 judges in 25 countries.

Here is some of what the judges had to say about the car:

"The FCX Clarity is an utterly real, hydrogen-fueled luxury sedan that provides the amenities people expect in a premium car with 430 km (267 miles) range, fuel consumption of about 3.3 litres/100 km (72 mpg U.S.) equivalent and zero tailpipe emissions. While there is only so much the automotive industry can do when it comes to this technology - governments need to come onboard to help create a true refuelling infrastructure - Honda must be credited for taking a bold step in leasing FCX Clarity to customers in California for $600 (U.S.) per month.There's still a long way to go before fuel-cell cars will become a commercial success, but hats off to Honda for continuing to advance this expensive technology during a time when every cent counts."

To be eligible, vehicles had to be available in at least one major market during 2008. The field included production models and experimental prototypes with near-future applications. Judging criteria included fuel economy, emissions and overall environmental impact.

Here are some links to the Honda FCX Clarity, the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Toyota iQ.

The previous three green category winners were the BMW 118d (2008), the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (2007) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006).

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 9, 2009, 10:37 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Fuel Cell, Honda, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Efficient Cars

Mitsubishi Motors Confirms It Will Market i-MiEV in U.S. and Around The World

Mitsubishi Motors said this morning that it, indeed, will build and sell the battery-electric i-MiEV city car for the U.S.and other global markets.

It's an announcement surprising only in its timing as most of the green car world has been waiting for months for the project to get the official green light. Mitsubishi already has said that it will begin fleet sales of the tiny four-door in Japan this July, with retail sales expected to follow sometime in 2010.

"Electric vehicles are one branch of the automotive landscape and we are dedicated to providing these technology-sourced solutions as an important path for the world's clean-air options," Mitsubishi Motors North America's Shinichi Kurihara said in announcing the global market plan at the New York International Auto Show earlier today.

"We believe the i-MiEV delivers on the promise of sustainability, suitable range, performance, and innovative packaging and styling," said Kurihara, president and chief executive of the Japanese automaker's North American operation.

Oregon On Board Already

Kurihara also announced that the State of Oregon and Portland General Electric will join Mitsubishi in the i-MiEV test program already underway in the U.S., helping the company gather data on real-world EV use.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 9, 2009, 10:03 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Japan, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

If Stars Align, Annual EV Sales Could Hit 3-Million Mark by 2015, Says Analyst

Cheaper Batteries, Lots of Chargers, Government Incentives are Necessary Ingredients

By Danny King, Contributor

The jury's still out on whether battery-electric vehicles will be a luxury or relatively commonplace within the next six years, according to a recent report that finds a lot of uncertainty still exists regarding battery performance characteristics.

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Electric cars such as the proposed Tesla Model S could proliferate, but would only trickle into the market without infrastructure development and government support, report says.
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Annual global battery-electric vehicle sales will range from as few as 500,000 to as many as 3 million units by 2015, depending on factors such as how long the cars can run on a single charge and how quickly they recharge, high-tech consultant Strategy Analytics said in its report.

Battery-electric car manufacturers will build about 10,000 units this year, up from 4,000 in 2008, according to the report's author, Kevin Mak, industry analyst of Strategy Analytics' Automotive Electronics Service.

It will take cheaper battery costs that drive electric-car prices closer to their gas-powered counterparts, a comprehensive recharging infrastructure, cars with features such as batteries that may be swapped out, and hefty government incentives for battery-electric vehicle sales to hit that 3 million mark by 2015; without such advances, annual sales will be closer to 500,000 units, Mak said.

"More advances are needed to make recharging faster - battery swap is an alternative approach - and to make more accessible recharging infrastructures, to increase range through greater energy density in batteries, to enhance reliability, and to lower costs to make electric vehicles more affordable to consumers," Mak said.

One thing is certain, though. The number of electric vehicles will grow, even if very slowly.
Companies ranging from larger automakers like Nissan to relative start-ups like Tesla Motors are planning to start selling all-electric vehicles to the U.S. public within the next two years.

Nissan Motor Co. plans to start selling its EV to U.S. fleet customers late next year and has reached an agreement with Japanese electronics giant NEC that will allow production of enough lithium-ion batteries to supply as many as 200,000 hybrid vehicles and electric cars per year.

Meanwhile, Tesla, which last week unveiled the $57,400 (base-price) Model S sedan that it plans to start selling in late 2011, said it has received more than 500 advance orders for the car, which can be equipped with a variety of battery packs good for 160, 220 or 300 miles between charges.

Others with EVs on tap include Miles Electric Vehicles, which is planning to launch its own highway-legal sedan late next year; Mitsubishi Motors, which will start selling a battery-electric city car, the i-MIEV, later this year in Japan; and Subaru, which has said it will sell a limited production EV in Japan in 2010. Several Chinese auto makers also have announced plans for EVs of their own.

Strategy Analytics cited EV battery-charging network developer Better Place as a potential factor in advancing the product enough for mass adoption.

The Silicon Valley-based company is working with Nissan and its partner, Renault, to develop electric cars and a recharging infrastructure for Israel and Denmark, though the car makers may not adopt Better Place's strategy of designing electric cars with swappable battery packs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 9, 2009, 7:20 AM
Categories:: Miles, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

March 10, 2009

Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota in Race for '09 World Green Car Title

The votes are in and the finalists in the 2009 World Green Car award race are (in alphabetical order) the Honda FCX Clarity, the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Toyota iQ . The winner is to be crowned April 9 at the 2009 New York International Auto Show.

Past winners of the three-year-old World Green Car of the Year have been the BMW 118d (2008), the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (2007) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006).

To be eligible, vehicles had to be available in at least one major market during 2008. The field included production models and experimental prototypes with near-future applications -- thus Honda's fuel-cell electric Clarity and Mitsubishi's battery-electric city car. Judging criteria includes fuel economy, emissions and overall environmental impact.

While diesels dominated in the past with two of three previous titles, this year's field has none, instead offering the Honda fuel-cell sedan, the Mitsubishi battery-electric car and the gasoline-fueled Toyota. Two are small city cars, and the third, the Honda, is a midsize, four-seat sedan.

A 59-member jury of green car specialists including journalists from several continents selected the three finalists.

Edmunds.com has spilled a lot of digital ink on each of the three nominated vehicles.
Here are some links to the Honda FCX Clarity, the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Toyota iQ.

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 10, 2009, 10:59 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2009 World Green Car Award

March 2, 2009

Mitsubishi Confirms EV-Sharing Deal; i-MiEV To Wear Peugeot Badge in Europe

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. today confirmed that it will provide electric car technology to French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen starting in late 2010 or early 2011. The two companies will produce a vehicle based upon Mitsubishi's iMiEV vehicle that will be marketed under the Peugeot brand .

Mitsubishi described its agreement with Peugeot as a memorandum of understanding that is "consistent with its worldwide electric vehicle strategy."

Mitsubishi's iMiEV technology currently is being tested in Japan -- where it is scheduled to debut this summer -- as well as in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand.

Today's announcement confirmed media reports about an electric car technology collaboration that surfaced last summer shortly after Mitsubishi became a minority partner in Peugeot's new $465 million plant in Russia.

Mitsubishi still plans to market its own line of electric vehicles in Europe. The Peugeot deal "would be mutually beneficial since the collaboration of MMC and PSA Peugeot Citroen will ease and accelerate the introduction of their electric vehicles in the European market," according to a statement on Mitsubishi's Web site.

Mitsubishi plans to introduce electric cars in Japan this summer. Closer to home, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric have been testing the zero-emissions four-passenger electric vehicle.

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 2, 2009, 10:13 AM
Categories:: France, Japan, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

February 25, 2009

2009 Geneva Auto Show: A Lot of Green for Snowy Swiss Venue

Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid is among the green stars of the upcoming Geneva auto show.

By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor

When the Geneva auto show opens its doors to the media March 3, the exhibition halls will be jammed with a wider range of smaller, smarter and more fuel-efficient cars than ever before.

Green vehicles were once a sideshow, with headline-grabbing debuts of outrageous supercars and luxury sedans in the main ring at Geneva. But like easy credit and cheap gasoline, those days are gone.

Intelligently designed, fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles are now the key to survival for the world's car manufacturers.

Even high-end manufacturers like Bentley Motors are getting in on the act. Rather than its usual lineup of sport-tuned touring cars that gulp gasoline the way a band of rugby fans down lager at a pre-game fest, the English luxury brand will unveil a bio-fueled concept -- albeit one with more than 600 horsepower.

Other stars of the show will include the Opel Ampera, the European version of the Chevrolet Volt; Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Sport Air, an electric sports car concept; and the shape-shifting Rinspeed iChange electric vehicle.

Green Car Advisor offers an advance look at these and other soon-to-be-unveiled eco-stars of the Geneva show.

Opel Ampera

As General Motor's European subsidiary, it makes sense that Opel would get a version of Chevrolet's much-hyped Volt hybrid.

Luckily for Opel, the Ampera also seems to have gotten the good looks in the GM family tree. While the Volt has been criticized for a somewhat bland exterior, the Ampera has a more aggressive and modern design that better lives up to the promise of the state-of-the-art drivetrain.

Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Ampera will be capable of running up to 40 miles on electric power alone, before switching to a small internal combustion engine that recharges the battery pack.

Opel says that the Ampera's lithium-ion battery pack can be charged from a standard European 230-volt outlet.

The Volt slated to arrive in U.S. showrooms near the end of next year, so expect the Ampera to make its European debut in 2011.

Mitsubishi i-MiEVs

Mitsubishi will debut a European version of the i-MiEV electric car it expects to launch in Japan later this year. Both are based on the Japanese company's tiny "i" city car.

The i-MiEV uses a 47-kilowatt (62-horsepower) electric motor that draws power from a 330-volt lithium ion battery pack. Range is estimated at 100 miles.

The European model will be slightly wider than the Japanese model, and perhaps a bit more powerful -- to cope with European safety standards and higher speed limits.

A U.S. version of the i-MiEV, if we get one -- and we think we will -- is likely to be based on the Euro model.

A sport version of the i-MiEV will also break cover in Geneva.

Very little is known about the concept, called the Sport Air, though we expect it likely will be a closer-to-production version of the huggable-cute i-MiEV Sport concept seen at the Tokyo auto show in 2007.

Chevrolet Spark

Not every important green car in Geneva will have an electric motor or hybrid power plant under its hood.

At first glance, the Chevrolet Spark looks like another sharply styled little Euro-hatch.

That's the point.

Frugal and attractive small cars like the Spark are key to the survival of General Motors -- and to weaning many American car buyers from opting for the super-size option in their dealers' showrooms.

The five-door Spark hatchback first appeared as the Beat concept car during the New York auto show in 2007.

The production version looks almost identical to that concept. When it goes on sale in Europe in early 2010, the Spark will feature a choice of economical 1.0- and 1.2-liter 16-valve engines.

U.S. sales are to follow in 2011.

Tata E-Nano?

A spokesman for India's Tata Motors told us to expect a surprise in Geneva.

Known for basic and cheap economy cars, Tata -- India's largest auto manufacturer -- is unlikely to pull a dust cover off some supercar.

Our guess: the top-secret news is the unveiling of an electric-powered version of the company's subcompact Indica hatchback, or the Nano city car (left).

Tata Motors has been working hard on developing electric versions of its current lineup for the European market. The company last year bought a majority stake in Miljo Grenland Innovasjon, a Norwegian company specializing in electric car technology.

The collapse of the global auto industry has hit Tata Motors hard, especially now that it owns struggling British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, but we're not counting it out of the electric car sweepstakes.

The four-door Nano hatchback will be the cheapest car in the world, priced at roughly $2,000 when it goes on sale in India later this year.

A low-speed battery-electric version suitable for urban centers or gated communities could be just what Tata needs to get its toe into the European or U.S. markets.

Rinspeed iChange

Rinspeed's annual dream machines in Geneva have been capable of hovering above land and water, tilting, running on bio-waste, and adapting the cabin environment to match a driver's state of mind.

The wacky Swiss company is now ready to debut its latest crazy creation, a shape-changing electric car called the iChange. Power comes from a 130-kilowatt electric motor.

This concept car's most intriguing feature is the adaptable seating arrangement. The iChange has what Rinspeed refers to as "1, 2, 3 seating," courtesy of an "electronic trick tail."

The exterior body-panels of the iChange can be reconfigured depending on how many passengers are on board.

Rinspeed says the result is not only a zero-emission car, but one whose ultra-low aerodynamic drag helps reduce power consumption from the electric motor to give it more range. Details to come at the show, we hope.

Bentley BioFuel Car

Bentley couldn't simply unleash a bio-fuel car onto the world. It had to make it the fastest Bentley ever.

We can live with that, considering the speed and grace of this strangely alluring yet contradictory concept. Sneak preview photos provided by Bentley show a car very much resembling its current gas-powered Continental GT.

Larger lower intakes and outlets in the hood now feed extra air to the W12 engine, reconfigured to run on a mix of gasoline and ethanol.

Oomph is estimated to be well in excess of 600 horsepower.

Ethanol helps raise the octane level of the fuel, which boosts power and gives this bruiser Bentley the performance credentials needed to keep its blue-blood clientele happy.

If the ethanol comes from biowaste instead of valuable food crops, those Bentley bluebloods may even be able to claim they are turning blue-green.

EDAG Light Car Open Source Concept

German engineering firm EDAG will display a high-tech car that is completely recyclable, electric powered and featuring state-of-the-art LED technology.

From the sneak peeks of the car we've seen, the finished product looks great. Too bad EDAG slapped a painfully awkward name onto this otherwise very promising concept car.

The body of the Light Car is constructed of lightweight basalt fiber. As strong as pricey carbon fiber commonly used in race-car construction, the basalt-fiber platform is cheaper to produce, provides high levels of occupant safety, and is entirely recyclable.

Power for the Light Car is provided by small electric motors located in each wheel.

The car's headlight and taillight housings aren't real hardware but instead are projected onto the exterior using LEDs. According to EDAG, owners can customize the shape and size of the lights (though there was no word as to the legalities of this clever option). Here's a company video animation that explains how it would work.

LEDs in the tail provide vehicles that are following the Light Car with information that could include driving tips like the Rinspeed's braking force (back off, I'm hitting the brakes HARD) and public service info like real-time traffic updates.

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid

French automaker Peugeot will show its new 3008 MPV, a small crossover that employs a 2.0-liter diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive. The system should be available in European models of the 3008 by 2011.

Sized to compete with small sport-utes like the Nissan Rogue, the 3008 hybrid will combine 36-hp electric motor with the diesel engine. The electric motor will provide power to the rear while the engine drives the front wheels.

Peugeot has no sales presence in the States, but we wouldn't be shocked if the 3008's hybrid system shows up here in another automaker's cars someday.

Keep in mind, the standard gas-powered version of the 3008 (above, left) uses the same 1.6-liter motor as the BMW Mini Cooper. A hybrid/all-wheel-drive version of the Mini Crossover Concept (a Mini-based sport-ute shown at last year's Paris auto show) sure makes sense to us.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell February 25, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Bentley, Biofuels, Chevrolet, Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Hybrid, MINI, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Tata
Technorati Tags:: Green Cars at Geneva Auto Show

January 26, 2009

Mitsubishi To Debut High-Performance i MiEV Sport Air Concept at Geneva Show

First Mitsubishi announced it was coming out with the i MiEV, a pint-size plug-in electric vehicle . Then it said a plug-in hybrid extended-range i MiEV was in the works. Now it says it'll be debuting a high-performance variant of the i MiEV at the Geneva auto show in March.

Shown here in a pair of artist's renderings, the i MiEV Sport Air Concept "explores the future possibilities for zero-emission vehicles," Mitsubishi said in a statement released today, "placing a greater bias on exhilarating driving pleasure."

Without going into specifics, Mitsubishi said the concept vehicles will feature "powerful, instant torque from a beefed-up electric motor" and "stable driving and handling and a low center of gravity, due to the in-floor lithium-ion battery."

Instant torque is always music to our ears, and despite Mitsubishi's claim to explore the future possibilities for zero-emissions vehicles with the concept, Tesla Motors has been producing an instant-torque plug-in electric sports car for an entire year.

As for the roof, Mitsubishi says it allows the driver to "enjoy the exhilaration of fresh-air motoring while also highlighting its eco-friendly qualities." We assume that this means the roof retracts, but it's not entirely clear.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 26, 2009, 9:32 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

January 5, 2009

Major Japanese Retailer Says Mitsubishi's I-MiEV Battery-Electric Car Is Way To Go

Mitsubishi Motors has found a fan in Japan for its battery-electric i-MiEV city car .

The Lawson convenience store chain, which operates 8,000 locations in Japan and has a fleet of 1,500 company-owned vehicles, says it will start replacing them with EVs next year.

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Composite photo shows i-MiEV parked in front of one of Japan's Lawson stores.

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The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbum reported last week that Lawson will acquire 150 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs when the automaker begins marketing them to the public -- in Japan only, we're sorry to say -- this summer.

Lawson also said that it is contemplating installing electric-car charging stations at some of its stores at the end of the year to see if that will help boost consumer interest in battery-electric vehicles.

The chain store operator told the newspaper that it hoped to improve its corporate image and cut its fuel bills by becoming an early adopter of EVs In its fleet. It said that if all goes well it would like to convert its entire fleet to electric-drive vehicles over time.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 5, 2009, 11:28 AM
Categories:: Japan, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Car

December 29, 2008

Nissan, NEC to Put $1.1 Billion Into Battery Manufacturing Business

We're talking about EV battery manufacturing and development in the U.S., but they're doing it in Japan.

Nissan Motor and NEC Corp. reportedly have agreed to pump almost $1.1 billion, into Automotive Energy Supply Corp., their previously announced joint venture for manufacturing lithium-ion battery packs (right) for electric and hybrid cars.

If the Nikkei business daily report is accurate, this will be the fourth major battery venture in Japan: Toyota has teamed with Matsushita Electric, Honda with Sanyo and Mitsubishi with GS Yuasa.

Nissan has an agreement with its French partner, Renault, to begin producing electric vehicles by 2010, and needs an assured battery supplier. The Japanese model calls for important components for a Japanese-built vehicle to be developed and produced at home when possible.

The deal, according to the Nikkei report as reviewed by analysts at Global Insight, calls for the Nissan-NEC partnership to ultimately produce sufficient batteries to supply 200,000 hybrids and EVs a year, with initial production of 13,000 battery packs a year to begin in 2009.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell December 29, 2008, 1:06 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Honda, Hybrid, Japan, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: EV Batteries

December 18, 2008

Monaco's Prince Albert Gives Mitsubishi's EV a Royal 'Thumbs Up'

If his majesty gets what his majesty wants, Mitsubishi may have made a sale.

The Japanese automaker took a preproduction model of its battery-electric car, the i-MiEV, to Monaco recently to show it off to various government agencies, utility companies and what not.

Among those who took the tiny car for a spin was His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

The 50-year-old ruler of the tiny principality is considered an environmentalist with a special attachment to programs aimed at cleaning up the marine environment.

In a statement released this week by Mitsubishi, the prince is quoted as saying that the i-MiEV is the kind of car that represents "the future, and I am happy that your company is going forward in this direction."

He further commented, according to the statement, that the i-MiEV seemed "ready for practical use in a city area" and closed his comment with the kind of remark that usually gets results when uttered by a monarch:

"I would like to see this kind of zero-emission vehicle in Monaco in the near future."

We imagine Mitsubishi would, too.

The company currently is field testing the car in Japan, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. and has said it intends to market it in Japan in 2009 and in Europe -- depending on the outcome of the ongoing feasibility study -- "sometime after" 2010.

Mitsubishi has been working on electric propulsion since the 1970s, and introduced its first test model electric car publicly in 1993.

The i-MiEV -- which stands for i-Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (the i in front is the designation of the gasoline-fueled "i" car on which it was based), was introduced in 2006 and has been in testing ever since.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell December 18, 2008, 1:12 PM
Categories:: Mitsubishi, Monaco
Technorati Tags:: MIEV

December 17, 2008

Small Cars Improve in Crash Tests Overall, but They Suffer Big Hit in Side Impacts

Small cars fare better in crashes than they used to, but they still lag behind larger vehicles in protecting passengers. Their disadvantages are especially clear in side-impact crashes.

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Chrysler's PT Cruiser did poorly in the side-impact test.
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Of the nine small cars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, all received the group's top rating of "good" in frontal crashes, but only two got good ratings when broadsided.

The Insurance Institute tested nine small cars for the 2009 model year in front, side and rear collisions. The group included the BMW Mini Cooper, Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, as well as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, which are essentially the same vehicle sold under two brand names.

Only the SX4 and Matrix, and its twin the Vibe, received good ratings for protection in side crashes. The Ford and Chevrolet were judged acceptable in side-impact protection, while the Hyundai and Saturn were marginal and the Chrysler was poor.

Only the Ford Focus was top-rated in rear-impact crashes that test how well the vehicles' seats and head restraints protect passengers. The Chrysler PT Cruiser was the worst performer, with poor ratings for side and rear protection.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 17, 2008, 1:17 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hyundai, MINI, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BMW Mini Cooper

December 1, 2008

Electric Vehicle Charger Company Says Sales Arm Now Reaches 28 States

EV charger manufacturer Coulomb Technologies, which recently announced that it has orders for 40 of its networked charging stations to be installed along major traffic corridors in California, says it now has established distributorships that cover 28 states with plans to expand into all 50.

Coulomb, headquartered in Northern California, is displaying its wirelessly linked charging stations at the Electric Drive Transportation Assn.'s annual conference in Washington, D.C. this week.

The company's "Smartlet" stations supply current at a variety of voltages for battery-electric and pug-in hybrid vehicles. Station users' would use prepaid accounts that would be debited via a wireless transaction when they access one of the charging stations - unless the station owner has opted, as several have, to deliver the power at no charge.

Coulomb said it will market the stations exclusively through its regional distributors, who now cover the major states in all regions except Texas and the Midwest.

Richard Lowenthal, Coulomb's chief executive, has said that he wants to position the company to have a commercial recharging infrastructure in place when vehicles with rechargeable batteries beginning appearing in the marketplace.

In addition to independents such as Tesla Motors, Miles Electric Vehicles, GEM and Zap that already market electric vehicles, several major and independent automakers, including General Motors, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, BMW, Fisker Automotive and Aptera Motors have announced plans for plug-in hybrids or battery-electric cars that will begin to hit the market -- some for testing, others for retail sales or leasing -- by late next year.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell December 1, 2008, 1:55 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chrysler, Fisker, Ford, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz, Miles, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Coulomb Technologies

October 21, 2008

Automotive Designers Go To Town on Alternative-Fuel Racing Machines for 2025

The rules were crystal: chow mescaline and Twinkies, crank Hendrix or Led Zep, and design alt-fuel race cars for model year 2025 that defy normal imaginations.

At least that's our understanding of the rules given the nine Southern California automotive design studios competing in the fifth annual L.A. Auto Show's Design Challenge.

This year's entries will be judged by Tom Matano of San Francisco's Academy of Art University, Imre Molner of Detroit's College for Creative Studies, Stewart Reed of Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, and Daniel Simon, founder of Cosmic Motors.

The winning design will be announced at the auto show on Nov. 20. And now for your dreaming pleasure:

Audi R25 / Audi Design Center California

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 21, 2008, 4:10 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

October 9, 2008

French Automakers, Utility to Collaborate on National Recharging Network for EVs

Electricite de France, Europe's largest utility, and French automakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault today agreed to work together to develop a nationwide recharging network for electric cars.

The deal follows the announcement last month that Daimler and German utility RWE plan to build a network of electric-car recharging stations in Berlin.

The venture with Paris-based EDF calls for a business plan to set up outlets in France for recharging electric vehicles, or EVs, by 2011.

Renault and its Japanese affiliate, Nissan, have pledged to introduce EVs in the U.S. by 2010 and in Israel and Denmark by 2011. Renault also plans to introduce its first mass-market EVs domestically in 2012.

The project with EDF, which was announced at the Paris Auto Show today, will be open to other automakers, Renault spokeswoman Rochelle Chimenes said. Battery leasing and battery-exchange stations are being considered, she said.

Peugeot said in a statement today that its pact with EDF will cover EVs and rechargeable hybrids, building on plans the manufacturer announced in June to develop electric powertrains with Mitsubishi.

EDF and Toyota announced a partnership 13 months ago to evaluate rechargeable hybrids and charging infrastructure in Europe.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking at the car show today, said France plans to provide $550 million in research funding for low-emissions vehicle technologies. He also said a $6,827 bonus on purchases of cars generating less than 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, introduced in January, will remain in place until at least 2012 or until a subsidy for the 100,000th vehicle has been given.

Shai Agassi, the CEO and founder of Better Place, an American company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a worldwide electric-vehicle infrastructure, welcomed Sarkozy's comments.

He said his company "applauds and supports the efforts being made in France to extend the feebate policy to 2012, deploy zero emissions public car fleets, and improve battery technology. We accept President Sarkozy's challenge to develop the necessary infrastructure supporting standardized electric vehicles in France, and around the world."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 9, 2008, 10:49 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

October 7, 2008

Mitsubishi Considering a Plug-In Hybrid to Follow Battery EV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. apparently plans to go beyond its upcoming mini-EV with a plug-in hybrid suitable for longer distances.

That's the word from Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko, according to Dow Jones News Service.

Masuko reportedly said during a talk Monday in Tokyo at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan that the automaker is developing a plug-in hybrid that would be better suited for long-distance travel than the iMIEV battery-electric car the company plans to begin selling in Japan next year.

Our source at Mitsuibishi Motors North America confirmed the report, sort of, saying that the plug-in car "is under study."

It would certainly make sense.

Plug-ins, particularly those that use relatively small internal combustion engines as on-board generators and not for direct propulsion, can eliminate a lot of the problems consumers associate with pure EVs - especially the need to regularly stop for lengthy recharging sessions.

While small battery-electric like the i-MIEVare ideal for short-range, intra-city driving in urban areas such as Tokyo (or Chicago, New York City and San Francisco), plug-ins give drivers with longer commutes or ambitious travel plans a lot more flexibility.

Mitsubishi and most other automakers would do well to have both types of vehicles in their lineups.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 7, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Mitsubishi Plug In Hybrid

October 3, 2008

Bail-Out Passes, Includes Plug-In hybrid Tax Credits. Now Bring On the Cars!

In case you've been in a deep, dank cave with no wireless connection for the past few hours, the news du jour is that the House has approved the Wall Street rescue measure that includes the original $700-billion in bail-out bucks plus wads of cash for renewable energy, biofuels and energy-efficiency programs.

The $17 billion energy package also includes a plug-in hybrids tax credit plan with an estimated price tag of $1 billion. It won't expire until the auto industry has, collectively, sold 250,000 plug-in cars and trucks that run at least part of the time on all-electric drive from energy stored in rechargeable, on-board batteries.

While none of the major automakers has yet to offer a plug-in, just about all (Honda Motor Co. is a notable exception) are working on them, with General Motor Corp.'s Chevrolet Volt perhaps the best known of the bunch.

Reporters walking the floor of the Paris Auto Show this week, however, are seeing a lot more as European car makers seem to have embraced the idea of electric cars and gas- and diesel-electric hybrids with a fervor usually associated with revival meeting preachers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 3, 2008, 12:47 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Honda, Legislation, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Subaru, Tata, Toyota

September 25, 2008

Mitsubishi Designs 32X4 Electric Rally Racer for LA Auto Show

Mitsubishi Motors, no slouch when it comes to world rally racing and an up-and-comer in electric vehicle development, puts the two together in a design study the company is entering in the upcoming Los Angeles International Auto Show's annual design challenge.

The contest pits nearly a dozen Southern California-based advanced automotive design studios against one another, and this year designers were asked to come up with a racing-themed vehicle for the year 2025.

An early copy of Mitsubishi's entry (the company is sending out a general news release about it later today) found its way into Green Car Advisor's mailbox, so we thought we'd passd it on to you without waiting for the official release due out later this afternoon.

The "Mitsubishi MMR25," designed at the carmaker's North American design center near Los Angeles, posits a windowless all-electric Mitsubishi rally car that lets the driver "see" his or her surroundings on a 360-degree panoramic screen displaying images of what's outside the cabin via a system of real-time exterior cameras.

Removing the heavy glass windows helps lighten the vehicle for more speed and greater range from its next-generation, nano-lithium batteries, the design team says. Designers are imagining a battery pack that will deliver 1,000 miles of travel between charges.

The batteries, mounted low in the vehicle to improve its center of gravity, would power a unique vehicle capable of scurrying across sand, dirt, gravel and other loose surfaces like a sure-footed sand beetle.

Instead of using a single tire on each wheel, each of the Mitsubishi electric rally car's independently driven wheel hubs is surrounded by eight individually driven, cylindrical tires (detail, right) that would improve traction and stability on loose surfaces, trumping the typical 4x4 by making the Mitsubishi a 32x 4.

In all, the racer would use 36 electric motors: A larger one for each of the four in-wheel motors motors, and eight smaller, supplemental motors for the individual tires surrounding each wheel.

As Mitsubishi's entry describes the system, the "rotational direction of the tires allows the vehicle to be driven forward while pointing the nose...in any direction."

In plain English (as plain as we can make it, anyhow) instead of drifting through curves and around corners in a controlled slide, the MMR25 could actually be driven sideways through the turns.

While the design study isn't likely to be on your local Mitsu dealers lot in 2025, some of its parts well could hit the streets in just a few years.

The ideas of using in-wheel motors instead of a central electric drive motor has been explored by Mitsubishi, and other automakers, in a variety of concept vehicles over the years and could end up in a Mitsu EV or two after the company launches its first retail model in Japan next year, as previously announced.

Mitsubishi is the first automaker to "leak" a sneak peak at its LA Auto Show Design Challenge entry, but isn't likely to be the last. We'll do all we can to keep you entertained with them as they come in over the transom.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 25, 2008, 3:26 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show

September 23, 2008

Chrysler Unveils Prototype EVs And Says At Least One Slated For Production

Aiming to show that it is not irrelevant in today's fast-changing auto market, Chrysler is announcing today that it will have at least one electric vehicle in production by 2010, a timetable that would put its zero-emissions, gasoline-free car into competition with EVs and plug-in hybrids being launched by General Motors and Toyota in the same timeframe.

To prove it is up to the challenge, Chrysler Chairman Bob Nardelli is giving journalists a peek this morning at four EV prototypes it has developed in its year-old green car R&D program- one of them a close relative of Tesla Motors' already-in-production electric roadster, another -- more likely for production, based on the Town & Country van.

Chrysler raised the curtain with a preview this morning on CNBC, and promised more details later today after a press conference at its Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters

The cars, descendants of concept vehicles Chrysler introduced at this year's Detroit Auto Show, are being unveiuled just as Congress begins considering funding $25 billion loan program to help Detroit finance a new generation of fuel-efficient vehilces that could helkp it compete agan with cars from Asian and European manufacturers..

What we know now is that the operating prototype roadster (left) , called simply the Dodge EV, is based on an extended Lotus Europa chassis, uses a lithium-ion battery pack and has a claimed range of 150-200 miles per charge and a 0-60 acceleration time of under 5 seconds.

The specs closely mimic those of the Tesla Roadster, which uses a much-modified Lotus Elise chassis.

Other cars being shown are the Chrysler EV based on the T&C van (top), a Jeep four-wheel drive EV (bottom right) based on the Wrangler, and a bubble-shaped low-speed neighborhood EV (bottom left) that sprung from the imagination of a designer who apparently was once traumatized by a jelly bean.

The Chrysler and Jeep prototypes would use series hybrid electric drivetrains similar to that scheduled to be introduced in late 2010 in General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Volt.

A grid-charged lithium-ion battery pack would provide up to 40 miles of range, after which an internal combustion engine/generator would kick on to produce enough juice to continue powering the electric drive motors while recharging the battery packs.

Click here to jump to the CNBC page where you can watch a (very slow to load) video of a test drive session.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 23, 2008, 7:30 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Electric Vehicles

September 8, 2008

Subaru Mini-EV to Launch In Japan Next Year

Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries has decided to join the growing cadre of carmakers hustling to launch battery-electric vehicles for the retail market.

A report in Automotive News, a subscription-only auto industry journal, says the company intends to build a limited run of four-seat minicar EVs with a range of 50 miles per charge. The cars will be based on the gasoline-fueled Subaru Stella model and intended for Japan's intra-city commuter market.

Actually, Subaru pretty much confirmed production plans for the car during the New York Auto Show in March, and introduced a few concept models of its EV at the recent G8 economic summit in Japan earlier this summer. But it's nice to see additional info hitting the media.

Subaru plans to launch the cars next year and is aiming to sell about 200 to fleet customers in Japan.

Like Mitsubishi's minicar-based i-MiEV electric car, the Subaru EV isn't intended for the U.S. market, Automotive News reports - although Fuji put a couple test cars into service in New York following the auto show there earlier this year and is about to wrap up a six-month test to gauge the cars' chances in this market.

(We also suspect that Mitsubish, which has tested its i-MiEV in the States, is rethinking its plans and considering the possibility that these tiny cars just might have a future here if marketed to the proper audience.)

Power for the Suby EV will be storied in and delivered by a lithium-ion battery pack from Automotive Energy Supply Corp. - a joint venture of Nissan Motor Co. and NEC.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 8, 2008, 1:45 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Subaru, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

Mitsubishi Said to Join Daimler, RWE Test of Li-Ion Charging Infrastructure in Berlin

Last week we reported that Daimler Group and German utility RWE launched a joint project that calls for RWE to develop, install and operate 500 charging stations in Berlin and Daimler to provide more than 100 electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and Smart that will use the stations.

The idea is to study the performance of the cars in daily, real-world driving, and to study the efficacy of the charging infrastructure provided by RWE. Ideally, the charging stations should work with all electric vehicles.

Today, the German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that RWE intends to allow Mitsubishi Motors access to the network of recharging stations when Daimler's one-year exclusive agreement with the utility expires.

Mitsubishi has a suitable vehicle for the Berlin project in the form of the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle), which will be named I-EV in the German market.

All of the vehicles provided by Daimler and Mitsubishi will be powered by lithium-ion batteries. The project represents the first large-scale rollout of lithium-ion battery-powered electric passenger cars in Europe.

One hundred Smart electric vehicles are currently being field tested in Britain, but all of them are fitted with the heavier, bulkier and less capable nickel-metal hydride batteries.

As previously reported, Daimler has said it plans to produce 10,000 electric-powered Smart cars by 2012.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 8, 2008, 1:37 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, Fuel Economy, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Smart
Technorati Tags:: Berlin

August 28, 2008

Daimler Opening Global Hybrid Research Center in Japan

Looking to boost the fuel efficiency of its commercial trucks (left), auto giant Daimler's truck division has opened a hybrid research center in Japan, where it owns a big chunk of truck maker Mitsubishi Fuso.

The new Daimler Global Hybrid Center will be located on Mitsubishi Fuso's campus in Kawasaki, the company said.

Mitsubishi has developed diesel-electric hybrid systems for city buses and light commercial trucks and Daimler wants to harness that expertise to its own Teutonic engineering prowess, according to industry analysts at economic consultant Global Insight

The aim is to come up with systems that can be applied to the range of commercial vehicles it manufacturers in its Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Mitsubishi Fuso subsidiaries.

And if some of that technology happens to trickle down into the company's Mercedes-Benz and Smart passenger car divisions, well, so much the better.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 28, 2008, 3:41 PM
Categories:: Daimler, Fuels & Technologies, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi
Technorati Tags:: Daimler Trucks

August 20, 2008

Bosch and Samsung Cleared to Launch Lithium-Ion Battery Joint Venture

The race to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles took an expected turn today, with German parts supplier Bosch and Korean electronics giant Samsung announcing they have received all regulatory approvals to launch a joint venture to develop the batteries.

The joint venture will be headquartered in Korea and bear the name SB LiMotive Co. Bosch and Samsung each own 50 percent of the new company.

The company's objective, Bosch and Samsung said in a statement, is to "series-manufacture highly efficient lithium-ion batteries customized to automotive requirements and to market them worldwide from 2011."

Samsung has extensive experience developing lithium-ion batteries for a broad range of non-automotive applications, including notebook computers, power tools and mobile handsets.

Bosch will contribute the experience it has gained in recent few years with its "Project House Hybrid," which focused on power electronics, battery management, electrical engines and transmission systems.

The development of new, advanced lithium-ion batteries is widely regarded as the last big obstacle separating a world in which the vast majority of vehicles are gasoline powered and a world predominated by gas-electric hybrids and pure electric vehicles.

SB LiMotive enters an increasingly competitive market. Among the companies that are working on advanced lithium-ion batteries are Mitsubishi, Honda, Sanyo, LG Chem, Compact Power, A123 Systems, Continental, General Motors, and Johnson Controls-Saft.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 5:07 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric

Ford Escape Hybrid Among Small SUVs to Earn Top Safety Rating

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Many people if not most who buy a small or midsize sport utility vehicle do so because they believe it offers greater personal protection than a car. And for that extra measure of protection, they are willing to sacrifice fuel economy.

Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced that the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid earned top ratings in recent crash-test evaluations, bringing to three the number of hybrid SUVs getting superior mileage without compromising safety.

The other hybrid SUVs earning top-safety-pick honors from the respected institute are the midsize 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid and the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which the institute had previously evaluated.

But the big winner announced today by the institute was the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, which outperformed the competition in recent front, side and rear crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models.

The 2009 Escape, including the hybrid version, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander and 2008 Nissan Rogue joined the Tiguan in earning top ratings in all three of the institute's evaluations. All four models come equipped with electronic stability control and side airbags, which the institute considered very important.

The institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal or poor are based on results of front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against whiplash injury in rear crashes.

The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, 2008 Jeep Patriot, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler all earned the second-lowest rating of marginal.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 8:02 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saturn, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen

August 18, 2008

Website Helps Motorists Become Fuel Efficient -- and Automakers Appear Green

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

The nerve of some people.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today distributed a press release, saying that it had trademarked "EcoDriving" and launched a Website with fuel-saving tips for motorists.

This is the same Alliance that has vigilantly opposed legislation that would compel automakers to meet government-mandated fuel-economy standards.

The Website the Alliance launched -- ecodrivingusa.com -- contains what you'd expect: Nothing on how the industry can clean up its act and provide more fuel efficiency, just tips on how motorists can drive more fuel efficiently, a means to calculate your vehicle's carbon footprint, and of course instructions on how to "promote the EcoDriving program."

As for the Alliance's claim that they possess the trademark to "EcoDriving"?

The term "EcoDriving" is not unique to the Alliance or its services or products -- a litmus test that trademark terms must pass -- and the term has been in the public domain for awhile.

It can, for example, be found on ecomodders.com, ecodrive.org and other Websites that promote fuel-responsible driving and, unlike the Alliance and its new Website, aren't funded by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 18, 2008, 5:58 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Manufacturers, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen

August 11, 2008

Mitsubishi Plans Lithium-Ion Battery Factory to Meet Demand From EV Segment

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced Monday that it will build a factory to meet an expected fivefold increase in demand for lithium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles.

The plant will open after April 2009 and have initial output of 200,000 battery cells per year -- enough for 2,000 cars.

Mitsubishi will ramp up capacity to equip 10,000 vehicles "shortly afterward," amid higher hopes for its i MiEV plug-in electric vehicle (below), the company said in a statement. The four-passenger i MiEV, which runs on LEV50 lithium-ion batteries (above right), goes on sale in Japan next summer.

Mitsubishi's new factory will be operated by Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture with GS Yuasa Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. It will be located in the western prefecture of Shiga.

Earlier plans had called for GS Yuasa to make the batteries at an existing plant in Kyoto, with annual output for 1,000 vehicles. But the partners decided that a bigger plant was needed to meet growing demand for fuel-efficient cars.

As Green Car Advisor reported last week, the all-electric, zero-emissions i MiEV will be tested in California this year to evaluate a U.S. launch.

The i MiEV is the centerpiece of Mitsubishi's effort to leapfrog Japanese rivals in the green-car race. Lithium-ion batteries are seen as critical to that effort because they are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in most hybrid and all-electric vehicles today.

Rivals such Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. also are developing lithium-ion batteries. Nissan has a joint venture with NEC Corp. and plans to start production next year. Toyota is teaming with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. on its own battery technology.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 11, 2008, 4:15 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

August 7, 2008

Mitsubishi Motors, U.S. Utilities to Collaborate on Testing of Zero-Emissions i MiEV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced today that it has signed letters of intent with two large American utilities -- Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric -- to collaborate on testing the zero-emissions i MiEV four-passenger electric vehicle later this year.

Extensive testing of the i MiEV (pronounced I-meev) has been occurring the past two years with seven utility companies in Japan. The success of those programs has prompted Mitsubishi Motors to hasten testing elsewhere and to accelerate the vehicle's entry to market, with sales in Japan scheduled to start next summer.

Under its agreement with SCE, i MiEVs will join the utility's mighty prototype testing and evaluation program. The collaboration "will provide us technical feedback on i MiEV vehicle and battery performance, as well as vehicle connection and integration into the electrical system," Mitsubishi Motors executive Tohru Hashimoto said in a statement.

Through this program, SCE hopes to help Mitsubishi Motors gauge how EVs will most effectively connect to Edison's SmartConnect advanced metering system.

Edward Kjaer, SCE's director of electric transportation, said inclusion of the i MiEV into its fleet of EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles complements the utility's existing work on electric-powered autos and next-generation advanced batteries.

SCE, which operates the nation's largest private fleet of electric vehicles, has more than 20 years and 16 million miles of EV experience.

The i MiEV electric vehicle, which is based on Mitsubishi's "i" gasoline-powered minicar on sale in Japan, adapts a zero-emissions state-of-the-art electric drivetrain. A 330-volt lithium-ion battery system is located under the floor deck and powers a permanent magnet electric motor.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 7, 2008, 6:01 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

July 22, 2008

Japan Inc. Reportedly Working on Uniform Lithium-Ion Battery Standard

Lithium Ion battery packs being tested in U.S. at Argonne National Laboratory.

We don't think this is one of those signs and portents that mark the impending end of the world, but it does seem a near miracle: Several Japanese automakers, battery developers and power companies reportedly have agreed to work together to establish a global standard for lithium-ion batteries.

If you can remember back to the late 1990s and early 2000s and the days of the EV1, Nissan Altra, Toyota RAV4 EV and other first-generation electric vehicles built in extremely limited numbers to meet California's then-new Zero Emissions Vehicles mandate, you'll also remember that there were several types of batteries in use and two competing charging systems required.

That added more complexity and cost to an already complex and costly new-vehicle development program and helped hasten the demise of hopes for a vast fleet of readily available, affordable and easy-to-charge EVs.

A global standard, which means - among other things - that all battery systems would be designed to use the use the same recharging system, is one of the things needed if there is to be any chance of bringing back the battery-electric vehicle in a meaningful way.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 22, 2008, 9:53 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Fisker, Ford, General Motors, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Smart, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

Acura, Smart, Chevy Models Top List of Healthiest Cars Tested by Ecology Center

Soy foam in the seats the Ford F-150 pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Locally farmed hemp , "ethically produced" woolen fabric and floor mats made of sisal in the Lotus Eco Elise.

Some automakers are increasingly going to great lengths to make the interiors of some of their models if not environmentally friendly, at least a bit wholesome.

But others, well...

Early today the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, posted its second-annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.

More than two hundred 2008- and 2009-model-year vehicles and more than 60 children's car seats were tested for unhealthy chemicals that seep in gaseous form from the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats and carpet.

The "new-car smell," as the gases are commonly called, mingle with the air occupants breathe and have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

The Ecology Center reported that Mazda, General Motors and Nissan improved since last year's findings, with GM showing the greatest gains of the domestic automakers, with an average vehicle ranking improvement of 27 percent.

The list of the 10 best and 10 worst vehicles as picked by the Center appears in the chart above.

Average child-car-seat scores improved 28 percent overall. The list of 10 best and worst car seats for 2008 as picked by the Center appears at left. Click on the chart for a better look.

For more information, go to www.HealthyCar.org.

Below are the three worst 2008-model-year vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and Volkswagen New Beetle.

Below are are the three best vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Acura RXD, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart Passion Cabriolet.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2008, 12:21 AM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Think, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 21, 2008

Mitsubishi to Present iMiEV Plug-in EV at Confab Tuesday, But Here It Is a Day Early

Mitsubishi is slated to give a presentation at the 2008 Plug-in conference in Northern California Tuesday on why it has decided to enter the electric-vehicle market with its iMiEV.

We got our hands on a version of their PowerPoint presentation and, well, we're making it available, in the more common PDF format, to you a day early: Mitsubishi 2008 Plug-in Presentation.pdf .

The slide show starts off with some facts you likely know, such as EVs have: the most efficient well-to-wheel energy use, the lowest carbon-dioxide emissions, and the lowest per-mile fuel cost.

But then it rather quickly gets into information that you likely don't know or forgot, such as Mitsubishi began building EVs in 1971 and has built them nearly every calendar year since.

Of course the heart of the presentation isn't a ride down memory lane, but rather an introduction to Mitsubishi's iMiEV, from how it works to dimensions and specifications to details regarding the iMiEV's prototype battery pack.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 21, 2008, 5:46 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla

July 17, 2008

That New Car Smell Might Kill You

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

That's our sensational headline for 2008, but there's more than a smidgen of truth in it.

Last year Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ecology Center released the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats -- and what they reported was sickening.

The odor you inhale when you slide into a new car? It might very well be bromine, chlorine, lead, other harmful chemicals or a witches' brew of them. They've been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and, no doubt, cancer.

If you think the government protects you against such things, think again. Some of the vehicles on the road today are veritable toxic dumps on wheels. And many drivers are exposed to these chemicals through inhalation and contact with dust every day.

In case you missed last year's report, Ecology Center found the most toxic vehicles were the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo, Scion xB 5dr and the Kia Rio. The least toxic vehicles were the Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Odyssey and the Volvo V50.

Next Tuesday -- July 22 -- Ecology Center will release its second annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats, and if you're thinking of buying a new car anytime soon, you'll want to check it out. The guide will be posted at www.healthycar.org a little after midnight on the 22nd.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 17, 2008, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Legislation, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 16, 2008

Survey Finds American Consumers Are Hot for Hybrids but Cooling on Ethanol

While most automakers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers want the companies to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study released today.

Now in its third year, the Alternative Powertrain Study examines the reasons why consumers consider or avoid alternative powertrain vehicles, such as gas-electric hybrid, flex fuel and clean diesel models.

The study includes the Automotive Environmental Index, which rates the 2008-model-year vehicles on the basis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data to fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions, as well as expert input from J.D. Power & Associates.

The study found that more than 80 percent of the 4,000 consumers polled believe the U.S. is currently facing an energy crisis. Only 18 percent of these respondents believe the issue can be addressed by building small, fuel-efficient vehicle.

Thirty percent believe automakers should continue to produce a comparable vehicle lineup with a focus on gas-electric hybrid, clean diesel and flexible-fuel vehicles, while another 39 percent believe carmakers should focus on developing fuel cell and all-electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 16, 2008, 3:32 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Ethanol, Fiat, Flex-Fuel, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mitsubishi, Natural Gas, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Pontiac, Smart, Solar, Toyota

July 10, 2008

Mitsubishi Green Lights Clean-Diesel Crossover Based on Popular Concept-cX

Mitsubishi Motors gave the nod today for production of a new compact crossover model based on the popular Concept-cX that debuted at last September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Featuring a family of Euro-5 clean-diesel engines -- including a new 1.8-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 134 horsepower and 207 pound feet of torque -- a high-efficiency turbocharger and a diesel-oxidation catalyst with particulate filter, the full-time AWD sub-Outlander compact will serve as the showcase vehicle for the automaker's coming enviro-friendly technologies.

The wedge-shaped compact sport utility vehicle will wear the "Jet Fighter" grille introduced with the all-new Lancer family and use a derivative of Outlander's 4-wheel-drive drivetrain. Mitsubishi says the crossover will be the missing link (or is that the "found link"?) between its SUVs and its passenger cars.

The first production model is expected to roll off the assembly line in late 2009. Whether that vehicle or any of its clones will be sold in the U.S. has yet to be decided.

Also unknown is how a group of esteemed green-car enthusiasts would respond if asked whether the grille is more characterist of, say, the gull-sucking air intake manifold of an F-4 Phantom II supersonic fighter-bomber or the gaping maw of a great white shark? There is no wrong answer, though we'll be bitterly disappointed if you pick gull-sucking air intake manifold of an F-4 Phantom II supersonic fighter-bomber.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett July 10, 2008, 11:18 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Surveys

Mitsubishi Said To Sell Electric Cars to Individual Customers by Next Summer

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will begin selling a fully electric version of its gas-powered i minicar (pictured here) to individual customers in Japan next summer, slightly ahead of schedule, Reuters reported today.

Called the iMIEV, for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, the plug-in car is powered by an 88-module, four-cell lithium-ion battery pack located under the passengers and a motor, charger and inverter positioned above the rear axle.

The layout is based on the "rear-midship" platform of the gasoline-powered i that has been sold in Japan since 2006. As a result, the electric version can retain the car's full interior volume without reducing space for passengers or cargo.

Mitsubishi has said the electric car would be priced from $23,420-$28,100. The cars can be recharged by connecting to an ordinary household electricity socket.

The Japanese automaker, one of the frontrunners in the development of electric cars, had said it would begin offering the zero-emissions car mainly to fleet customers next summer and to individuals no later than 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 10, 2008, 12:25 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric

July 1, 2008

Automakers Say Federal Fuel Economy Rules Could Leave 82,000 Unemployed

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

A lobbying group for 10 major automakers including Detroit's Big Three, Toyota and Daimler urged federal regulators today to dramatically water down its proposal to hike fuel efficiency standards or run the risk of costing 82,000 autoworkers their jobs and the U.S. economy tens of billions of dollars.

In a thousand-page document filed today by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the automakers condemned the April 22 proposal by the U.S. Transportation Department that would boost fuel economy requirements to a fleetwide average of 31.6 miles per gallon by the 2015 model year.

That average includes 35.7 mpg for passenger cars and 28.6 mpg for light trucks. The nation's new passenger cars currently are required to meet a fleet average of 27.5 mpg, while the light-truck fleet - generally encompassing port utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans - must hit a target average of 22.5 mpg.

"This goes beyond what is technologically feasible and economically practical," the automakers said. "It would require manufacturers to expend resources at a pace that is excessive given the fact that the auto industry is already under economic stress."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett July 1, 2008, 1:31 PM
Categories:: BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Courts, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen

June 16, 2008

G8 Meet a Green Showcase for Japan Automakers

Among green vecicles to be shown by Japan's carmakers at July economic summit will be (clockwise from top left) Mitsubishi battery-electric i MiEV, Toyota Crown hybrid, Honda Clarity fuel cell and Nissan X-Trail clean diesel.

By Peter Nunn, Contributor

TOKYO -- Japan's automakers are rolling out a big green carpet for the coming G8 economic summit on the northern isle of Hokkaido.

Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Honda are among those planning major environmental vehicle and technology displays at the July 7-9 meeting.

As the worldâ€™s leaders and media gather up in Hokkaido, the G8 meeting is seen as the perfect platform to promote Japan's new, green-era cars -- even though no new, previously unseen models or technologies are likely to be unveiled.

"The G8 represents an important opportunity to showcase our latest environmental technologies," said Simon Sproule, corporate vice president of Nissanâ€™s global communications department in Tokyo.

"With environmental challenges an important part of the agenda for the G8 meeting, we want to ensure the delegates can see for themselves the progress being made in the auto industry."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); June 16, 2008, 10:14 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Diesel, Fuel Cell, Honda, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota

Mitsubishi, Peugeot Strike Electric Car Alliance

Less than a month after Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced it will become a minority partner in PSA Peugeot CitroÃ«n's new $465 million plant in Russia, the two automakers have agreed to work together in the production of electric vehicles, according to news reports.

Additionally, the companies are considering forming a joint venture to manufacture EVs, Reuters reported today, citing an article in Nikkei, the Japanese business daily.

Mitsubishi has agreed to supply Peugeot with technology relating to the conversion of electricity into drive power and the prevention of batteries from overheating...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); June 16, 2008, 9:47 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric

May 21, 2008

Hybrid Cars, Fuel Cell Cars, Green Cars Galore

It's turning into a banner year for hybrid and other green car news.

After all the Honda hoopla this morning, word leaks out that Toyota will debut the next-generation Prius, expected to be longer, lower and more powerful, but not radically different-looking, at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show with a sales launch slated for later in the year.

If that's not enough, Toyota's luxury marque, Lexus, is believed to be considering two new hybrids of its own, one of them a premium-priced version of that new Prius, the other a midsize crossover utility vehicle.

Edmunds.com's Inside Line has the details.

We think its great news -- although our aching keyboarding fingers wish it had been spaced out a bit.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 21, 2008, 5:51 PM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen

April 7, 2008

Japanese Automakers To Show Green at G8 Meet

A fierce battle among Japanese automakers is likely to be staged during the Group of Eight summit in Japan this July, with carmakers using the session as a showcase for their fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.

Toyota, Mitsubishi and other automakers will provide about 100 fuel-efficient cars to transport participants at the summit meeting, The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reports in Tuesday's edition.

Toyota will provide about 80 hybrid cars, including luxury Lexus models, minivans and compact cars for participants making short trips around the venue. The company also is planning to provide plug-in hybrid electric cars for participants' use...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 7, 2008, 3:03 PM
Categories:: Fuel Cell, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota

March 25, 2008

Despite Competition, Honda Not Sold on Lithium Ion

Lithium-ion battery packs being tested at Argonne National Laboratory.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Toyota, General Motors, Mitsubishi and Mercedes-Benz all say they'll have electric cars with lithium-ion batteries on the road at or near the end of the decade.

Because they can pack more power into a smaller and lighter package than the nickel-metal-hydride batteries that today's hybrids use, lithium-ion batteries are generally considered the only way to go as EV and hybrid technology pushes into the future.

But over at Honda Motor Co., chief Executive Takeo Fukui is suggesting that charging ahead slowly is the best way to go when assessing the battery portion of that technology.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 25, 2008, 1:48 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota

March 20, 2008

Mitsu's iMIEV Turns Even Jaded New Yorkers' Heads

By Robert E. Calem, Contributor

New York -- Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has developed a fully electric version of its i minicar for the domestic Japanese market and is exploring plans to import it to the U.S., the company announced at the New York International Auto Show.

Called the iMIEV, for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, it is powered by an 88-module, four-cell lithium-ion battery pack that sits under the passengers and a motor, charger and inverter positioned above the rear axle.

The layout is based on the â€œrear-midshipâ€ platform of the gasoline-powered i that has been sold in Japan since 2006, and it means the EV version can retain that carâ€™s full interior volume â€“ with no loss of space for passengers or cargo.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 20, 2008, 7:11 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric

January 13, 2008

Detroit Auto Show: The Green Guide

Fisker Automotive's exotic plug-in hybrid is one of the show's green offerings.

It's Sunday, kickoff day for the press preview of the North American International Auto Show and we're here in Detroit, struggling to get an overcoat on before heading out to chip the ice off the windshield and cursing the wife for her cheerful telephone reminder that it's supposed to be 80-degrees at home today.

Used to be that heading for this show supercharged the brain's anticipatory centers, but this year it seems a bit ho-hum.

There' still good stuff, especially on the green car front, but several industry insiders have suggested in recent weeks as we pondered the show schedule together that the newly rejuvenated Los Angeles Auto Show, which now takes place in November instead of just days before Detroit, has stolen some of the thunder.

Or maybe it's the economy â€“ the U.S. auto industry hasn't been all that healthy of late.

Whatever the reason, while there's enough here this year to make it worthwhile attending, there's not enough to get the salivary glands working overtime.

On the green front, much of what we'll be seeing is concept, not stuff that will hit the road this year.

We are expecting some announcements from Toyota about its hybrid and fuel economy strategies, and from the American Le Mans Racing series about further adoption of green technologies and fuels for racing. General Motors is expected to have something to say about its drive to make ethanol a bigger part of the U.S. fuel supply base.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 13, 2008, 7:15 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, BMW, Biofuels, Chrysler, Diesel, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota