Mitsubishi to double EV production

Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said it is planning to double its production target of the i Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (i MiEV) electric vehicle from 10,000 units to 20,000 units in fiscal 2011. It had initially planned to produce 2,000 vehicles in 2009 and 4,000 units in 2010. Mitsubishi will sell the vehicles to the public and it begin supplying the vehicles to France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in fiscal 2010. Mitsubishi already has about 2,000 units pre-ordered for this year by Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the Japan Post group, among other clients. Meanwhile, the company said it has begun to market the Minicab CNG, a small van that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). Professed to emit 15% less CO2 than the gasoline-powered Minicab, it features a 660cc engine, automatic transmission and two-wheel drive. (April 6/8, 2009)