Mitsubishi i-MiEV "Electrifies" Test Track in Demonstration Video to Celebrate World Environment Day

CYPRESS, Calif., June 4, 2009 – Mitsubishi Motors will be celebrating the United Nation's World Environment Day, June 5, with the debut of a short video that exemplifies the automaker's commitment to the environment and eco-conscious technologies. The video showcases the performance and durability of Mitsubishi's pure battery electric vehicle – the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) – in a series of tests and in comparison to its Japanese market i gasoline counterpart.

So for those who can't wait to catch a glimpse of the i-MiEV on the road after it goes on sale in Japan this summer, they can catch the minute-and-a-half video at www.mitsubishicars.com.

It's clear from the video that emitting zero on-road carbon emissions and using no fossil fuel are not the i-MiEV's only talents. The small, yet roomy, four-passenger i-MiEV is shown in acceleration and slalom tests side-by-side the turbocharged gas-powered i car on which it is based. The electric i-MiEV performs impressively, with markedly quicker standing-start acceleration, and due primarily to its lower center of gravity, substantially reduced body sway in a double lane-change maneuver.

Keys to the i-MiEV's performance include an ultra-quiet permanent magnet synchronous motor and a powerfully efficient lithium-ion battery pack that can be quick-charged up to 80 percent of capacity in as little as 30 minutes. An onboard charger accepts 110V (12-14 hour full-charge time) or 220V in half that time. Read more