Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), in cooperation with its New Zealand subsidiary Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand (MMNZ), will show the zero-emissions i MiEV electric vehicle in New Zealand as a preparatory step toward a possible future introduction to the local market and to create greater public awareness of electric vehicles.

The move will be carried out in cooperation with state-owned electric power company Meridian Energy, New Zealand’s largest energy provider, which generates 100% of its electric power through renewable resources such as hydroelectric and wind generation.

Mitsubishi Motors and Meridian will launch a promotional tour of the country sometime after February 2009. Representatives from national and local government will be given the chance to drive the car, in order to spur discussions about possible subsidies as well as developments in infrastructure and marketing considerations.

The Nikkei reports that Mitsubishi Motors Corp. begin retail sales in Japan of its i MiEV electric vehicle next summer, a year ahead of schedule. The automaker had planned to start leasing the i MiEV to businesses and municipalities next summer and to wait until 2010 for the retail launch.

However, it is advancing the retail release in light of smoother-than-expected preparations for mass production and the favorable sales conditions created by runaway gasoline prices, according to the report.

Mitsubishi Motors intends to set the price for the i MiEV at around 4 million yen. But government subsidies for low-emission vehicles are likely to reduce the actual retail price to an estimated 3 million yen [US$28,000].

The i MiEV is powered by a compact 47 kW motor that develops 180 Nm (133 lb-ft) of torque and a 330V, 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack from Lithium Energy Japan (LEJ). LEJ is a joint venture of GS Yuasa Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). Top speed of the i MiEV is 130 kph (81 mph), with a range of up to 160 km (100 miles) under Japanese 10-15 cycle driving conditions.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp said on Friday it would partner with U.S. utilities Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co to test its zero-emission electric car for use in the United States.

The two separate agreements follow Mitsubishi Motors' field tests for its small, four-seater "i MiEV" with seven utilities in Japan over the past two years. Mitsubishi Motors, one of the few major automakers with a working prototype of a mass-production electric car, plans to start selling the car in Japan next summer.

"The joint partnership (with PG&E) will yield valuable data and a greater appreciation of the practicality of an all-electric vehicle in California," Corporate General Manager Tohru Hashimoto said in a statement.

Through daily use, the two partners will gauge the viability of a pure electric car, which typically has a short cruising range due to battery power limitations. Charging time is also an issue, as the i MiEV requires more than half a day to fully charge using a regular electric socket at home.