Japan-based Mitsubishi announced on Thursday it would partner with utility companies Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to test its i MiEV electric car in California. The automaker has already performed similar tests with seven utility companies in Japan in the last two years and plans to start selling the car there in the summer of 2009.
With the partnerships, Mitsubishi will learn about the limitations of its product and tailor solutions and applications its drivers will be able to follow in order to get the most out of the car. The range is still unknown, but like most electric vehicles, likely wouldn’t be suitable for long road trips but daily commuting instead. The four-seat i MiEV also needs over half a day to recharge its batteries while plugged into a regular electric plug at home.
The two utilities will help Mitsubishi develop an infrastructure to help drivers charge the car at dedicated “filling” stations. Southern California Edison is already working with Ford on a similar project based on the Ford Escape flex-fuel hybrid.
The i MiEV is based on Mitsubishi’s i, which uses a small gasoline engine as its powerplant. The electric car makes use of lithium-ion batteries developed by Mitsubishi Motors, GS Yuasa Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp.
