Mitsubishi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 17

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Our three current priorities are for as many people as possible to try our electric vehicles and learn their advan-
tages, lowering pricing by reducing costs, and expanding our electric vehicle lineup.
Encourage People to Ride in Our Electric Vehicles
Many people who ride in the i-MiEV find to their surprise that, among other things, it accelerates extremely well
and is very quiet. First-hand experience is the first step in understanding the benefits that an EV can offer.
For that reason, we are looking closely at taxis. Japanese taxi companies in Niigata, Ehime, Okayama, Tokyo,
and Kyoto have already deployed the i-MiEV in their fleets.
We will work hard to increase the number of i-MiEV taxis to demonstrate to the general public how polished
and attractive the i-MiEV vehicle really is.
Having more i-MiEV taxis in service would also contribute greatly to the environment. Some people switching
to electric vehicles might drive only on weekends. But switching cars that run all day long, such as taxis, to electric
vehicles would more swiftly contribute to cutting more carbon dioxide emissions.
Lower Pricing
There is still considerable room for improving the cruising range, charging times, and costs of electric vehicles.
Still, the range is adequate for city driving. While charging takes longer than filling up a gasoline-powered car,
people can charge their vehicles at home, so neither of these factors would necessarily inhibit the popularization
of electric vehicles.
Costs are an issue, however, and we will seek to reduce them by increasing the number of units sold and har-
nessing economies of scale. We believe that electric vehicles cannot become popular without lowering pricing to
levels comparable with those of gasoline-powered cars.
We are striving to reduce costs for the i-MiEV so the end price to the customer is around ¥2,000,000 in Japan.
Expand Our Electric Vehicle Lineup
We are formulating our next mid-term business plan, as part of which we are looking to expand our lineup of elec-
tric vehicles. We are not yet able to disclose specifics, but we target fiscal 2012 to make an electric version of our
yet-to-be-released compact, affordable, and fuel-efficient global strategic vehicle, and by fiscal 2013 we plan to
launch a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that fully utilizes electric vehicle technology. We are considering many
options for the commercialization of these vehicles.
Our Current Focuses Are to:
1. Encourage People to Ride in Our Electric Vehicles
2. Lower Pricing
3. Expand Our Electric Vehicle Lineup
An i-MiEV taxi in Japan
15
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION Annual Report 2010