Mitsubishi i MiEV takes the Japanese Car of the Year “Most Advanced Technology”

The Mitsubishi Motors i MiEV city car was announced as the winner of the Japanese Car of the Year “Most Advanced Technology” award yesterday at the 41st Tokyo International Motor Show 2009.

This no-compromise zero-emissions car was praised for the way it has applied its advanced lithium-ion battery technology into a full four-seat family city car, and having achieved full-production status.1

The car was available in Japan from July this year with all 1,400 of this year’s units destined for the Japanese market already sold. An additional 900 orders have also been received in Japan for the 2010 build allocation.

European production is scheduled to begin in October 2010 and will be available in left hand drive markets across Continental Europe towards the end of the year, according to market. The UK, which benefits from being a right hand drive market as in Japan, will see its first cars go onto UK roads in December this year.

The Japanese Car of the Year award underlines Mitsubishi Motors’ long standing expertise in the field of electric vehicles since the early 1970s. It also further enforces Mitsubishi Motors’ place at the forefront of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle development and signals excellent progress towards its stated goal of having 20% of total production as either electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2020.