Mitsubishi Motors delivers first 2012 Mitsubishi i EV fleet vehicle orders to Google and IGO CarSharing

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has delivered the first fleet vehicle orders of the environmentally-friendly and affordably-priced 100% electric-powered 2012 Mitsubishi i to search engine giant Google and car sharing service IGO CarSharing.

MMNA and Capitol Mitsubishi of San Jose, California, delivered the high-tech yet fun-to-drive 2012 Mitsubishi i electric vehicles to Google's corporate headquarters on Wednesday, February 29, at the Google Solar Carport. The Mitsubishi i EVs add to GFleet, the company's employee car-sharing fleet that consists entirely of plug-in vehicles.

Google has installed the largest corporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the U.S. at its headquarters in Mountain View, California. The company has a full 147 Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations currently, with more units planned for installation to replenish electric vehicles on its campus, including Mitsubishi i's advanced lithium-ion main battery packs.

On Wednesday, February 22, MMNA and Max Madsen Mitsubishi delivered the initial batch of 2012 Mitsubishi i EVs to IGO CarSharing for use in this organization's growing fleet of environmentally-friendly vehicles.

IGO CarSharing is a membership-based non-profit car sharing company based in Chicago, Illinois, that was founded in 2002 by another non-profit organization, the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), to help foster “sustainable development and livable urban communities.”

This convenient and affordably-priced (four different rate plans are available; all pricing plans include gas and insurance) car sharing service allows drivers to select one of more than 250 low-emission vehicles that are available in 30-plus different Chicago-area neighborhoods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

This delivery of 2012 Mitsubishi i EVs to the Chicago-area IGO CarSharing fleet is the latest development in the Japanese auto manufacturer's commitment to the state of Illinois: In addition to being the home of Mitsubishi's state-of-the-art automobile manufacturing plant in the city of Normal, Mitsubishi Motors and the State of Illinois announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last year that will see the two parties collaborate to help develop critical initiatives supporting electric vehicles like the all-new Mitsubishi i.

Last year, the City of Chicago entered into an agreement to install a total of 280 EV charging stations, 36 of which will be dedicated to IGO CarSharing vehicles, at the Windy City's bustling airport, shopping malls and at rest stops along the Illinois Tollway – developments that should make the charging of 100% electric-powered vehicles like the 2012 Mitsubishi i a convenient experience for the residents of America's 3rd most populous city.

For additional information on the 2012 Mitsubishi i, please visit i.mitsubishicars.com and media.mitsubishicars.com. For more on Google's EV initiative, log on to google.org/recharge. To learn more about IGO CarSharing, please go to igocars.org.         

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
                 
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, sales, marketing, research and development operations for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 400 dealers. In November of 2011, MMNA launched the battery-powered electric vehicle Mitsubishi i as part of a corporate mission to offer consumers more environmentally responsible modes of transportation. This battery-powered electric vehicle technology addresses the need for vehicles that produce zero tailpipe emissions and support a growing agenda for sustainability. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.