29 November 2010

iPod, iPad, iPhone, i30… And now, just to confuse you all the more, we introduce the latest i-thang – the Mitsubishi iMiEV.

I, for one, can’t keep up! And neither can all the other cars apparently when it comes to being Queen of the eco department.

The celebrity-endorsed-to-death Toyota Prius (driven by Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Leo, Orlando Bloom, and oodles more A-listers) has of course been number-one on the government’s Green Vehicle Guide for years but news just in (to bring you up to speed): the tenaciously popular Prius has just been jutted to number-two by the new Mitsubishi iMiEV.

So what is that exactly (*cough)? No, it’s not some new Gen Y sneaker label. The iMiEV (aka ‘Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle’) is a four-door, 100-per-cent electric hatch that coughs out practically nothing when it comes to greenhouse gasses. It’s as if you never even drove it…

In fact, driving an iMiEV actually saves one tonne of greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere per year, when compared to other small, petrol-fuelled cars on the market.

Its teeny motor is powered by high-strength, lithium-ion batteries you can fully recharge along with your laptop in a household power socket in just seven hours. A fully charged battery can get you 160 km.

And just because it scrimps on nasties, don’t think it does the same with features and speed.

The iMiEV goes up to 130km/h and is quiet as a mouse with its whisper-loud sound.

Drivers can feel safe with ABS (anti-lock) brakes, traction control, driver and passenger airbags, alloy wheels, air con, and power windows.

Interested in the newest eco-kid on the block? Check it out http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/microsites/welcometotomorrow