The 25-pound i-MiEV Power Box is what is commonly referred to as a vehicle-to-grid system. That means that it allows the owner of an electric car to use electricity from the car's battery pack to power an outside device such as a telephone charger or a fridge.
The Power Box can be used on the occasional picnic, but Mitsubishi says that using it every day will eventually have a negative effect on the car's battery pack. Instead, it was primarily designed to be used in emergency conditions such as when no power is available, or when the power grid is experiencing peak demand.
When the Power Box goes on sale, it will carry a base price of 149,800Â¥ (including tax), which equates to about $1,786. So far Mitsubishi has not announced whether or not it will sell the system in Europe and in the United States.
