Monday June 22, 2009

2010 Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car to be more affordable, plug-in hybrid planned

Mitsubishi, the maker of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car, plans to cut the vehicle's purchase price by more than half to less than 2 million yen ($21,000) as government incentives and tighter emission rules boost demand for fuel-efficient cars. Mitsubishi is unveiling its electric cars ahead of plans by larger rivals Toyota and Nissan to introduce similar vehicles by 2012. Mitsubishi also plans to sell a plug-in hybrid version of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in 2013.

Nissan has said it plans to introduce electric cars in Japan and the US in 2010 and mass-produce them globally in 2012. Toyota, the world's largest maker of gasoline-electric hybrid cars, is also developing electric cars for sale in 2012. Prime Minister Taro Aso is giving fuel-efficient car buyers subsidies and tax breaks for new vehicles to spur sales as part of a 15.4 trillion yen economic stimulus program.

- So far, most of the major Japanese car manufacturers are on track with their electric car plans. We've got Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and now Mitsubishi about to launch electric vehicles pretty soon, with most of the models looking like they are conservative small-car variants. Honda seems to be taking an even more conservative approach with an electric motorcycle planned for 2010, which means that they are technically still in the EV game after all.

I'll be waiting for results from the upcoming Singapore electric car study to see what they are going to be recommending for implementation over here. A few years of plug-in hybrid vehicles with a gradual transition to an electric vehicle fleet, perhaps with V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) and all that. And there's the diesel-powered commercial fleet which is more sensitive to costs compared to the typical Singaporean car owner who changes cars every 3 or 4 years. For myself, the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid remains the natural successor to the current car.

See also :

1. Tesla Roadster electric sports car aims at Europe market
2. Toyota to launch pure electric car based on FT-EV concept in US by 2012
3. Tesla Model S electric car unveiled, specifications include 300-mile range, 5.6 sec 0-60 mph timing
4. Mazda to offer hybrid and electric cars by 2015

(2009-06-22 18:20:50 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

Most popular blog postings on lowem.log :

1. 2010 Nissan Leaf electric car specifications : 107hp, 24KWh lithium-ion batteries, 100-mile range
2. 2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid, 2010 Honda Fit/Jazz hybrid models confirmed
3. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid preliminary specifications released
4. Singapore SIBOR rate falls to 0.69% in Jan 2009, lowest since Apr 2004
5. How to insert currency exchange rates into Google Spreadsheets
6. Singapore : Nuclear power not ruled out
7. Live spot gold price quotes chart on COMEX
8. 2010 Toyota Prius specifications released : 50 mpg, 1.8L, 134hp, Ni-MH, solar roof option

Featured articles on lowem.log :

1. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid preliminary specifications released
2. 2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid, 2010 Honda Fit/Jazz hybrid models confirmed
3. 2010 Toyota Prius specifications released : 50 mpg, 1.8L, 134hp, Ni-MH, solar roof option
4. Honda, GS Yuasa JV to make lithium-ion batteries for 2010/2011 Honda Civic Hybrid
5. New efficient nanotech materials may boost enhanced geothermal power systems
6. NYMEX crude oil recovers from $32.40 low after 2.2 mbpd OPEC production cut announced
7. Singapore property market recovery seen as private home sales surge 52% in Jul 2009
8. Singapore SIBOR rate falls to 0.69% in Jan 2009, lowest since Apr 2004