
Mitsubishi is toying with the idea of bringing its jellybean-shaped i MiEV electric car to America and wants two California utilities to put them through their paces and see how they perform in real-world conditions.
The automaker has signed deals with Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison to add a few i MiEVs to their fleets in October. The three-year demonstration program will test the vehicles' drivetrains, reliability and usage on the grid. It follows similar deals with utility companies in Japan, where the car hits the market next summer.
From the article:
Although it doesn't look like much, the motor produces an impressive 63 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. It's said to be a quick and nimble runabout good for zero-to-60 mph in less than 9 seconds and a top speed of 82 mph. Mitsubishi says the i MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) is good for 75 miles on a charge and it wants to test the car in America to see how well a car designed for Japanese city driving does in America. PG&E and SoCal Edison have loads of experience with EVs and plug-in hybrids; SoCal Edison has racked up more than 16 million miles running the nation's largest fleet of EVs.
Another green car testing its ideas on American fleets.
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