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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company to Conduct Joint Research with i MiEV Electric Vehicles

Posted on 07. Aug, 2008 by webmestre in Asia, Uncategorized

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric
Company to Conduct Joint Research with i MiEV Electric Vehicles

Innovative Four-Passenger Electric Car Delivery in Fourth
Quarter 2008

TOKYO, August 8, 2008 -

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced today that it has
signed a letter of intent with Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) covering the use of MMC’s zero-emissions i MiEV electric
vehicle for research and demonstration purposes.

According to Tohru Hashimoto, Corporate General Manager of the
i MiEV Business Promotion Office of Mitsubishi Motors
Corporation, “We are hoping for the opportunity to introduce
the small, four-passenger Mitsubishi i MiEV to PG&E’s fleet in
the fourth quarter of this year so that we can begin real-world
U.S. testing. The joint partnership will yield valuable data
and a greater appreciation of the practicality of an
all-electric vehicle in California.”

Extensive testing with the i MiEV has taken place over the past
two years with seven major utility companies in Japan. The
success of these programs quickened the pace and prompted
Mitsubishi Motors to begin selling the electric vehicle in the
Japan market in summer of 2009.

Through daily use, PG&E will gauge the viability of utilizing
all-electric vehicles in its operations and further understand
the impact of charging electric vehicles on the electric grid.
The testing will provide PG&E and Mitsubishi Motors with
vehicle usage data, which will be used to publicly demonstrate
and validate the many benefits of dedicated electric vehicles
within the California market.

“PG&E has been researching the benefits of electric vehicles
since the nineties. Partnering with automakers like Mitsubishi
is vital to developing compatible infrastructures to support
electric vehicles in the marketplace and ensure responsible
integration with the grid,” said Andrew Tang, senior director
of smart energy web for PG&E. “By working with Mitsubishi, we
will both benefit from a free exchange of electric vehicle
information that includes charging infrastructure availability,
vehicle data, vehicle commercialization expectations and public
feedback.”

The i MiEV electric vehicle, which is based on Mitsubishi’s “i”
gasoline-powered mini car on sale in Japan, adapts a
zero-emissions state-of-the-art electric drivetrain. A durable
330-volt lithium-ion battery system is located under the floor
deck and powers a permanent magnet electric motor. With this
packaging, the vehicle offers the same level of interior
utility and space as the gasoline version while lowering the
center of gravity for more stable handling. The 47 kW electric
motor offers improved performance and quicker acceleration over
the 64-hp gasoline version.

The advanced lithium-ion battery is developed by Mitsubishi
Motors Corporation / Mitsubishi Corporation / GS Yuasa joint
venture company, Lithium Energy Japan. LEJ represents the
leading edge in battery technology and promises up to 100
miles* of zero emissions, economical driving on a single
charge when packaged in the i MiEV.
* Japan 10-15 Mode Cycle

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Tags: Environment, EV, iMiev, mitsubishi, Technology