Mitsubishi i Electric Vehicle to be Released in November

After the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf topped the list of the Top 10 Green Cars of 2011, it’s no surprise to see other automakers scrambling to get their own eco friendly cars out on the market. One of the next electric cars to hit the market will be the Mitsubishi i, which is getting a North American release this year, beginning in the state of Hawaii in November.

The Mitsubishi i Electric Car

The Mitsubishi i utilizes a new electric car technology Mitsubishi has created, called the MiEV technology (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle). The electric vehicle technology has been developed by the Japanese car maker over the past 40 years, and is now in a consumer-ready eco friendly vehicle. The Mitsubishi i electric car will retail for around $28,000.

As the vehicle hasn’t been released yet, some of the details are still unknown, but here is what is definitely going to be a part of the new electric car:

Three Options for Charging Stations

The Mitsubishi i electric car can be charged with three different charging systems (Fast, Faster, and Fastest according to Mitsubishi) to give drivers more options for convenience when in need of a fuel up. The ‘Fast’ option is a cable that plugs into any household’s standard 120v outlet, ‘Faster’ is a 240v home charging dock, and ‘Fastest’ is an additional charging port on the driver’s side of the vehicle that can take the car from 0 to 80% full battery in a half-hour.

Regenerative Brakes

Much like the popular electric motor assisted bicycles, the new Mitsubishi i will have a regenerative braking system, allowing the battery to charge when the car is slowing down.

Range, Top Speed, and Motor

The eco friendly MItsubishi i electric car is expected to have top speeds of 80 mph, and have a range of around 85 miles. It’s a rear-wheel drive electric car, with a rear 49 kW AC synchronous motor. Additionally, its battery is 16 kW lithium-ion, 330V with 88 cells.

Hawaii gets first dibs

Hawaii is going to be the ‘test market’ for Mitsubishi’s electric car release this November, and a great choice because of the state’s $4,500 clean energy rebate program, that would also provide a $7,500 federal tax credit. After all of the rebates and credits, Hawaiian citizens could have their own Mitsubishi i electric car for around $16,000, and as of this weekend the cars can be reserved with a deposit of only $300. If you’re interested in driving one yourself, visit the official Mitsubishi i site and get your name in today.