Mitsubishi Motors to launch its first plug-in hybrid SUV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced plans to begin selling the Outlander, its first plug-in hybrid vehicle. The company plans to launch the Outlander within the current fiscal year which ends in March 2013. The remodeled Outlander, which derives technology from Mitsubishi’s existing electric-powered vehicles, will be the first sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the market that will be equipped with a plug-in hybrid system. The Outlander can be charged using an ordinary home electrical outlet. The company said they will sell the plug-in SUV mainly in Japan and Europe, but the gasoline-and diesel-engine models will be sold in Russia this summer. (February 9, 2012)