Fleets switch on to Mitsubishi EV
BY JAMES STANFORD | 20th Jul 2010
Mitsubishi Australia has named 33 entities that have signed up to lease the i-MiEV, calling them the Foundation Group, but lease details such as cost and duration were undisclosed.
Three federal government departments will drive the i-MiEV, along with the New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian and Victorian governments, and Adelaide, Marion (south Adelaide), Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney councils.
The NSW NRMA and South Australian RAA motoring groups put their names down for the electric vehicle.
Several companies with an interest in green issues have signed on the dotted line, including electric infrastructure suppliers Better Place and ChargePoint, and electricity suppliers Energex, Energy Australia, Ergon Energy, ESCO Energy Solutions, ETSA Utilities and Western Power.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) said it would support the members with a wide ranging advertising campaign.
The initial shipments of i-MiEV would total 40 vehicles, but Mitsubishi said it hoped it would be able to source another 60 vehicles to fulfil strong demand.
MMAL president Masahiko Takahashi said the i-MiEV had attracted a lot of interest.
“The last 12 months have seen Mitsubishi conduct Australian trials of the vehicle with hundreds of potential owners, including local, state and federal government bodies, and major fleet operators, and the feedback from these test drives has been very positive,” he said.
“We have three times as many applicants as vehicles at this point. We could not have wished for a better response.”The iMiEV has a top speed of 130km/h, generates 47kW and 180Nm of torque and takes up to eight hours to recharge.
The micro city car has a range of up to 160km, powered by a rear-mounted electric motor linked to a lithium-ion battery pack.
