Eco-friendly production vehicle to lead the way into the automobile's next century

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the company's more than 35 years of involvement in advanced electric vehicle development, Mitsubishi Motors has unveiled its first all-electric production vehicle bound for the North American market.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101117/LA03265)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101117/LA03265)

Based on the very popular gasoline-powered "i" minicar in the Japanese market, this roomy and practical four-door 2012 model serves as the basis for the new 100% battery-powered Mitsubishi "i" for the North American market. The zero tailpipe emission "i" will be the first North American production vehicle to be powered by Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology – cutting edge drivetrain engineering that will serve as the basis for future ultra-environmentally-friendly vehicles from the company. Gone are conventional automotive systems including a gasoline engine, transmission and a fuel tank, having been replaced by advanced components including a lithium-ion battery system, electric motor and an efficient battery charging system in the all-new "i". This electric vehicle has already proved itself a viable and reliable form of transportation as Mitsubishi has been selling the car in its home market since the summer of 2009; production has already commenced for the European-spec i-MiEV, with deliveries beginning later this year.  

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Bio-fuels, electric cars don't suit India: Ramesh

Minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh came down against the use of bio-fuels in automobiles, saying food security concerns were the priority.

On the sidelines of an automobiles event in New Delhi, Ramesh said, ''We should take a cautious approach towards it (bio-fuel) as its production would require land and crops. It will be difficult as there are other needs like food security in the country.''

According to the minister, there are differences between India and other countries that produce bio-fuels, as the country is faced with enormous population and shortage of land. This precludes the mass production of bio-fuels, which are procured from crops, plants and trees, although such fuels are environment friendly and cleaner than fossil fuels.

''We are a country of a billion people adding ten million every year, and we have serious food security issues. Diverting land or crops for bio-fuels cannot be a sustainable option,'' the minister said.

His comments seem to contradict the union government's stand. The government has given a directive of blending of bio-fuel with diesel. In 2007, the government had mandated addition of 5 per cent of bio-fuel (ethanol) in diesel. An indicative target of 20 per cent blending of bio-fuels, both for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol, by 2017 has been proposed.

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