Clean Green Cars: Mitsubishi says it will increase i-MiEV production this year, hopes to bring price down to $22,000

Mitsubishi says it will increase i-MiEV production this year, hopes to bring price down to $22,000

Mitsubishi i-MiEV - click above for high-res image gallery

Is there a demand for small electric cars? Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has discovered that, yes, there is. In fact, the trend that the company seems to have discovered is that whatever production numbers they’ve set need to be increased. Last April, we heard that the original 20,000 per year target for 2013 or so would be upped to 30,000. But even for fiscal 2010, the original target of 5,000 units will be upped to 8,500. Why? Because, the Mainichi News reports, orders “far outstrip” expectations. Even better, for fans of the electric jellybean, is that the 30,000 annual production rate could be moved up to 2012. Last year, the first year that the car was available in Japan, Mitsubishi sold 1,650 units to corporate customers. We had heard that the company would make 2,000 units in 2009, and we’re not sure where the other 350 are. Sales to private citizens begin in April and exports to Europe and the U.S. are schedule to begin after that (well…). The best bit of news for EV fans, though, is that a Mitsubishi official told the News that, “Following the production hike, we want to reduce the price of the car to around 2 million yen in several years, which is about the same as gasoline vehicles.” That’s around $22,027 at today’s exchange rates. Thanks to Mark L. for the tip!

Gallery: LA 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV