Mitsubishi to start selling i-MiEVs to individuals in Hong Kong [HK]

Sales of Mitsubishi Motors' i-MiEV New-generation Electric Vehicle to Individuals Begins in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, May 20, 2010 – Universal Cars Ltd. (UCL), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC)'s importer and distributor for Hong Kong, announced today it will begin sales of the i-MiEV the new-generation electric vehicle to individuals.

Mass-production i-MiEVs have already been delivered to the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR) and some companies; however this announcement marks the first time sales to individuals will be commenced in Hong Kong, and also marks the first time that the i-MiEV will be sold to individuals outside of Japan.

UCL will begin sales of the i-MiEV to individuals from May 21 at a price of HK$395,000, with a target to sell 50 units by the end of this year.

Best Buy's Mitsubishi i-MiEVs Debut At The Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show In Geek Squad Livery [US]

Best Buy's Mitsubishi i-MiEVs Debut At The Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show In Geek Squad Livery

Fri, Jan 08, 2010 - LAS VEGAS - The four i-MiEV's leased by Best Buy Corporation for the Geek Squad in-home service fleet will be on display at the Best Buy Live display at the 2010 Las Vegas CES. These battery electric i-MiEV's leased from Mitsubishi Motors are part of an exploratory program conducted by Best Buy to evaluate these zero tailpipe emission, four passenger vehicles for implementation in their Geek Squad service fleet. The vehicles will actually enter service with the Geek Squad fleet by January 13th at a Best Buy retail location in El Segundo, California.

Electric Vehicle Background

Mitsubishi Motors has been involved in electric vehicle development for more than 35 years. Concentrating mostly on motor and battery technology, Mitsubishi has developed the zero-emissions i-MiEV, an electric minicar which has been on sale in Japan since summer of 2009. The i-MiEV was named as one of the top three finalists in the 2009 World Green Car competition.

With its highly efficient electric powertrain, the i-MiEV concept is a zero on-road CO2 emissions vehicle. Even when taking into account the CO2 emissions emitted by the power plants that generate the electricity required to power the car, the i-MiEV only produces about 30% of the CO2 of a comparable 660cc gasoline minicar.

The onboard electric systems also help reduce noise pollution during day-to-day operation. Free of the vertical vibrations and exhaust noise of gasoline engines, the i-MiEV's motor helps bring about a 5dB reduction in sound when fully accelerating from 31 mph.