Mitsubishi’s (MMTOF.PK) all-electric vehicle, i MiEV, will begin testing in British Columbia by the end of the year, according to a release by regional utility BC Hydro.
According to a memorandum, one car will be added to BC Hydro’s fleet of vehicles and one to the City of Vancouver’s fleet for demonstration and evaluation purposes. The agreement also allows for the addition of more cars as they become available.
BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver are already partners in the Province’s broader plug-in electric vehicle program, which is committed to demonstrating the opportunities for electric vehicles in B.C. and their potential demands on public infrastructure.
"I’m thrilled that Vancouver gets to debut the i MiEv," said Mayor Gregor Robertson. "We want to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world, and supporting this early adoption of plug-in electric cars is one way that Vancouver is becoming a leader in green technology. Electric vehicles are an important way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions when combined with improvements to transit, biking and walking."
BC Hydro has launched a comprehensive strategy to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2010. A large portion of the strategy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from BC Hydro’s vehicle fleet. BC Hydro has also recently added a new hybrid bucket truck to its fleet and has converted three hybrid vehicles to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Currently involved in testing and promotional activities in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Europe, the i MiEV will be launched in Japan during the summer of 2009.
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