PG&E, Edison to test Mitsubishi cars for U.S. market


NFPA 70E Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 6 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$199
Coupon Price:
$149
Reserve Your Seat Today
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will bring electric cars to the U.S. starting this fall in test programs with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Edison.

The Japanese automaker will deliver fewer than a dozen of its tiny i-MiEV electric cars to the utilities, but the company said it planned to use the programs to determine whether the U.S. was a viable mass market for such vehicles.

"It's an important market, and we want to evaluate if electric cars are feasible as a commercial technology," said David Patterson, Mitsubishi's senior manager for regulatory affairs and certification.

Currently, only one company sells highway-legal electric cars in the U.S.: San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla, which began delivering its $100,000 Roadster in April. Electric cars made by General Motors Corp., Toyota and other major carmakers were available on limited lease terms in California in the late 1990s, but most of those cars were recalled and the lease programs were discontinued.

Now, with gasoline prices roughly triple their 1990s level, interest in electric cars has risen significantly and a number of automakers are considering the technology, including Nissan and General Motors, which plans to release its electric Volt in late 2010.

Mitsubishi will begin selling the i-MiEV in Japan starting in August 2009 for between $45,000 and $50,000, not including government incentives of more than $15,000. A nonelectric version of the car, called the "i", retails in Japan for about $20,000.

The costliest component, Patterson said, was the car's advanced lithium ion battery, produced by Lithium Energy Japan. Battery technology is considered the main obstacle to widespread adoption of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The battery, which can be charged in five to seven hours using 220-volt current, gives the i-MiEV a 75-mile range and a top speed of 81 mph. It can hold the driver and three passengers.

Related News

NB Power launches public charging network for EVs

NB Power eCharge Network expands EV charging in New Brunswick with fast chargers, level 2…
View more

Groups clash over NH hydropower project

Northern Pass Hydropower Project Rehearing faces review by New Hampshire's Site Evaluation Committee as Eversource…
View more

Ontario will refurbish Pickering B NGS

Pickering nuclear refurbishment will modernize Ontario's Candu reactors at Pickering B, sustaining 2,000 MW of…
View more

Enel Starts Operations of 450 MW Wind Farm in U.S

High Lonesome Wind Farm powers Texas with 500 MW of renewable energy, backed by a…
View more

Ukraine Prepares for Winter Amid Energy Challenges

Ukraine Winter Energy Resilience focuses on energy security, grid repairs, renewable power, EU support, heating…
View more

Vehicle-to-grid could be ‘capacity on wheels’ for electricity networks

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) enables EV batteries to provide grid balancing, flexibility, and demand response, integrating renewables…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Live Online & In-person Group Training

Advantages To Instructor-Led Training – Instructor-Led Course, Customized Training, Multiple Locations, Economical, CEU Credits, Course Discounts.

Request For Quotation

Whether you would prefer Live Online or In-Person instruction, our electrical training courses can be tailored to meet your company's specific requirements and delivered to your employees in one location or at various locations.