Mitsubishi spokesman: All future models may use electricity 12/17/2010
A spokesman for Japanese automaker Mitsubishi has said that all future models produced by the company may be offered with hybrid or electric powertrain options, according to Automobile Magazine.
"Every new car we develop will also be able to be driven by electricity," Helmut Bauer, the spokesman for Mitsubishi in Germany, told Automobilwoche.
The source reports that one possible upcoming hybrid or electric car from Mitsubishi would be based on the PX-MiEV concept vehicle shown at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show. The vehicle is speculated to combine the basic frame of the existing Outlander model with the hybrid drive system of the PX-MiEV concept, which features a pair of 1.6-liter I-4 engines. Mitsubishi has reportedly confirmed that the new car is in development and will be released sometime in 2013.
According to the source, other existing models that are prime candidates for a hybrid or electric upgrade include the Montero SUV and an upcoming small global subcompact. Each of these models, however, faces potential trouble in the United States - the standard Montero was pulled from the American market in 2006, and a subcompact electric car would have to compete with the Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle slated to debut before the end of the year.