Mitsubishi has been producing and retailing the Japanese Domestic Market-spec i-MiEV since last year. Now that the company has debuted the production of the European-spec models, Mitsubishi begins full-fledged export. For the fiscal year 2010 (April 2010 - March 2011) the company has set itself a sales target of 5,000 i-MiEVs overseas, including the models built for PSA.
“It has been 100 years since mass production of internal combustion-engine cars began. We have taken the first step into the next 100 years of the automobile with the i-MiEV. Today, we take the second step with production for the European market on the way to global rollout of electric vehicles. This is a big step for the automobile industry and at the same time signifies the beginning of e-mobility for Europe,” Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko said during a special ceremony held at the Mizushima plant.
Mitsubishi plans to sell the i-MiEV in 14 European countries starting from December: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Starting from fiscal year 2011, the list of markets will be expanded.
The European-spec i-MiEV comes with some differences (in comparison with the Japanese version), such as new front and rear bumpers, enhanced stability, more safety features, as well as a redesigned center console and instrument panel.
Google News