Mitsubishi Motors and Hawaii Agree to Create Optimal Launch Conditions for EVs

Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Motors North America and the U.S. State of Hawaii announced on June 7 that they have agreed to vastly improve the infrastructure needed to deploy the new Mitsubishi i and other 100 percent electric-powered vehicles (EVs), for residents of America's tropical island paradise.  

"Mitsubishi's agreement and its choice of Hawaii as one of its launch states are important and welcome steps toward the State's clean energy goal of 70 percent by 2030," said Estrella Seese, Acting Energy Program administrator, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DEBDT), in Hawaii's State Energy Office.  "Car buyers interested in electric vehicles can reduce the cost of owning these cars with purchase rebates and incentives for installing chargers in their homes being offered by DBEDT with support from federal stimulus funds. We encourage people to take advantage of these great offers, because more EVs on the road mean … less dependence on imported oil."

Under terms of the cooperative agreement,Mitsubishi Motors and Hawaii will foster a host of statewide EV-related advancements, by:

• Making Mitsubishi i electric vehicles, test drives, and service training available through their Cutter Mitsubishi  dealership in Honolulu by November 2011
• Deploying  DC Quick Chargers, which can fully repower a car in as little as 20 minutes—for example, the CHAdeMO charger/protocol used in Level 3 Quick Charging stations to demonstrate EVs to the public in the State of Hawaii
• Supporting emerging businesses related to EV development and creating job opportunities
• Aiding in the development of programs at tech schools and community colleges to train technicians to provide support and maintain EVs and their related infrastructure

In addition, Mitsubishi Motors will provide counsel on EV strategy and infrastructure, based on its experience in selling thousands of electric-powered production vehicles throughout Japan and Europe.

Mitsubishi is launching the battery-powered electric vehicle Mitsubishi i as part of a corporate mission to offer consumers more environmentally responsible modes of transportation. This battery-powered electric vehicle technology addresses the need for vehicles that produce zero tailpipe emissions and support a growing agenda for sustainability.

The automaker has selected Hawaii to be among the first states to receive the North American-spec production version of the breakthrough 100 percent electric-powered vehicle. With a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $27,990 for the base ES model before a federal tax credit of $7,500 and Hawaii's clean energy rebate of up to $4,500 (subject to availability of funding), the Mitsubishi i it is now the most affordably-priced mass-produced electric vehicle available in the United States.

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