Mitsubishi: 8 new EVs and PHEVs in the next 5 years

[txlibdem]

We've been busy reading about the Volt, the Leaf, and recently the VW plug-in hybrid. But while we were paying attention to these other cool EVs and PHEVs, Mitsubishi has been working on a plan of its own:

Transitioning Away from the Internal Combustion Engine

Mitsubishi, the maker of the lovely electric Jellybean (aka the i-MiEV electric car), has plans to introduce 8 hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery-powered (BEV) models by 2015. They anticipate increased demand for "low-carbon" cars and want to position themselves as a major source of those. (Whether they will succeed is another question entirely, but they should at least get some points for trying to move away from the more polluting internal combustion engine.)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/mitsubishi-8-new-electric-hybrid-cars-by-2015.php

The link above has an interesting graph showing expected release dates of EV and PHEV models.

I had almost counted Mitsubishi out of the EV/PHEV races since I hadn't heard a peep out of them while other auto makers have been screaming from the mountain tops about the Volt, Leaf, the Coda Sedan, the Smart ED, and the recently announced VW PHEV. Even the decidedly drool-worthy Tesla Model S is managing to keep itself in the news. So what was Mitsubishi thinking?!? I guess this answers that question:

"Mitsubishi Motors, a Japanese automaker that has struggled through a global sales slump and barely escaped bankruptcy, is eyeing the plug-in vehicle market to turn its fate around. Mitsubishi's future plans call for the launch of eight new plug-in vehicles by the end of 2015, transforming the Japanese car maker from offering only a single electric-drive model (the i-MiEV) today, into a plug-in automotive powerhouse in four year's time.

Mitsubishi states that the eight scheduled vehicles launches will include a mix of plug-in hybrids and battery-electrics and feature autos like the U.S.-market Mitsubishi i and the Minicab MiEV, a commercial electric van slated to debut later this year. In addition, Mitsubishi's launch schedule calls for the automaker's first plug-in hybrid to hit the roads – in the U.S., Japan and Europe – by the end of 2012 (likely based on the Concept PX-MiEV crossover). Furthermore, Mitsubishi anticipates that its global production of plug-in vehicles will soar to 27,000 units per year by 2015."

http://green.autoblog.com/2011/01/25/mitsubishi-8-new-plug-in-vehicles-by-2015/

Now the competition's gonna get hot!

[madrchsod]

1. their bloomington,il. plant is rebuilding some of their lines...

for a new product. i think it`s their suv`s but it would be nice if they built their electric cars here

[txlibdem]

2. In 2011, a "commercial mini EV, MINICAB-iMIEV"

That is according to the treehugger article I linked to in the OP. It goes on to say:

Mitsubishi already sells the MiEV, an electric variant of their popular "i" kei-car, in Japan as well as Hong Kong and the UK, and plans to roll out MiEV sales to nineteen European countries starting this year. Re-skinned variants of the MiEV will also be sold in European markets as the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-ZERO. The company displayed a plug-in hybrid crossover concept vehicle, called the PX-MiEV, at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2009.

A plug-in hybrid crossover... now that might make a splash in the US market. Just a thought.