Demand for i-MiEV in Australia Three Times Greater Than Limited Supply
15 July 2010
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has three times as many applicants to lease the i-MiEV electric vehicle as available vehicles at this point, according to MMAL’s CEO and president, Masahiko Takahashi. “We could not have wished for a better response,” Takahashi said.
MMAL recently announced members of the inaugural Mitsubishi i-MiEV Foundation Group—organizations which have successfully applied to lease one of the company’s electric vehicles when the first shipment arrives in Australia later this month. With the arrival of the vehicles, MMAL will officially become the first volume-production manufacturer to market electric vehicle technology in Australia.
While Mitsubishi announced that 40 vehicles would be available in initial shipments, the company reported applications for more than 100 vehicles from more than 40 companies and government departments.
The announcement of the Foundation Group members will be supported by a wide-ranging advertising campaign, commissioned by MMAL.
i-MiEV Foundation Members include:
- Department of Climate Change
- Department of Environment
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
- New South Wales Government
- Queensland Government
- South Australian Government
- Victorian Government
- City of Adelaide
- City of Brisbane
- City of Gold Coast
- City of Marion
- City of Sydney
- NRMA
- RAA SA
- Better Place
- Carsales.com
- ChargePoint
- Energex
- Energy Australia
- Ergon Energy
- ESCO Energy Solutions
- ETSA Utilities
- GE Custom Fleet
- Hume Building Society
- Leaseplan
- Mitsubishi Australia Limited
- Ozgene
- Rock Constructions
- Roche Products
- St George Bank
- Western Power
3x greater demand would sound a lot more impressive if we were talking in numbers of thousands instead of an initial launch of 40 - but hey, gotta start somewhere.
Really want to see when they'll launch the i-MiEV in the USA - and for what price as they are supposed to launch at under $30k retail which will give the Leaf some competition.
Posted by: Dave R | 15 July 2010 at 11:06 AM
I fear that 1 or 2 years from now we will still be awaiting an EV that can capture more than 3 to 6% of the market.
Batteries are not ready.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 16 July 2010 at 05:34 PM