Mitsubishi Motors and the 2012 Mitsubishi i (voted “Most Likable Car On The Planet”) has transformed one town into the United States electric vehicle capital. The auto maker brought 1000 electric Mitsubishi vehicles to the city, along with 30 fast Level 3 quick charge posts.

Check out the full-length commercial, which has been on television since Oct. 10th:

“Normal EVTown is a community that is embracing new technology in an environmentally sound way,” says Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal, Illinois, who came up with the idea. “It is a way of imagining the future and Normal is that future.”

What they’re calling “EVTown” is the creation of town business officials, Mitsubishi Motors, government representatives and interested stakeholders. All believe EVs offer tremendous benefits to everyone in the community.

Source: Market Watch Video: thezagco

Featuring all wheel drive on top of that diesel-electric hybrid system, and for now only going on sale in Europe, Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko confirmed the next Mitsubishi Evo due in 3 years.

“We will start work on the project next year, and it will be ready within three,” Masuko added. “I have set the goal of developing a sporting car featuring electric power.”

This next generation Mitsubishi Evo may be going hybrid, but the car will still (reportedly) hit the 62 MPH mark in about 5 seconds, maybe less. Mitsu drivers demand performance above all else, and it looks like they’ll get it while still being green.

Source: WorldCarFans

As the company is planning several new introductions next year, other models will have to go. The announcement was made last week that production will end for Eclipse coupe, Eclipse Spyder, and Endeavor crossover this August.

Eclipse’s demise marks an end to a 21-year history. To commemorate it, Mitsubishi has announced a four-cylinder Eclipse SE Special Edition coming in 2012, which adds special badging, black side mirrors, and darkly finished 18-inch wheels. The car has the same equipment as the loaded, V6 GS Sport models, including a huge list of extras in the safety and entertainment arenas.

As for Endeavor, no celebration is planned, since only 4294 vehicles were sold in 2010. Good night, sweet Mitsu.

Source: Automobile Mag

Over 6,000 units of the Evolution series have been sold since 2000. The Lancer Evolution X range begins with the FQ-300 SST engine, which produces 300 bhp. Prices start at $47,700.

The press release is meant to promote the Lancer Evolution X model, but at the same time doesn’t make a promise as to its future, except that it will still be around in some form. A few of Evo’s high-octane variants are likely to remain, perhaps as hybrid or plug-in hybrid variants.

Source: WCF

The Mitsubishi i hits dealerships this November, in Hawaii, California and other Western states, and will offer a 70 mile range for under $30,000 before tax incentives. Mitsu’s i (known as the i-MiEV overseas) is the first of those six plug-in / hybrid cars.

Mitsubishi is also letting some models go, as part of this new plan: three low sellers will be disposed of by 2013: Galant midsize sedan, Eclipse coupe and Endeavor SUV. Mitsubishi will bring in replacements for all, but expect those to be smaller and have hybrid drive trains.

“Combining small-footprint cars with electrification is a natural strategy,” Moe Durand, a Mitsubishi spokesperson, said. He added, “clean-diesel technology — especially expensive exhaust-treatment systems — was too expensive to install profitably on smaller, more affordable cars. It seems the only way to meet regulatory targets in several markets is to aggressively leverage battery technology.”

One vehicle that is not as green as the rest of Mitsubishi’s future will stick around – the “Evo Lancer” also known as the Evolution, an enhanced version of Lancer, will remain in the company’s line up. The car has a huge cult following.

So, is Mitsubishi putting all their eggs in a very fragile “eco car” basket? Or will they be ahead of the curve when EV’s go mainstream?

Source: NY Times

According to the official Press Release from Mitsubishi, the exterior of the sporty Outlander ACTiV offers the addition of 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps and black roof rails with roof rail cross bars, as well as a stylish black front center grille and chrome exhaust tip.

On the inside the Outlander ACTiV provides increased occupant comfort with the addition of privacy glass and automatic air-conditioning, and enhanced safety with the addition of reverse parking sensors and Bluetooth 2.0. Safety features include Mitsubishi’s acclaimed reinforced impact safety evolution body, active stability control, active traction control, multi-mode anti-lock breaking system and electronic brake force distribution.

For now, the Mitsubishi Outlander ACTiV will only be available in Australia, but cross your fingers and hope this special edition will come to the United States and Canada.

This news won’t effect North American Mitsubishi sales, or models like the Evo or Lancer. It will pretty much erase Mitsu from most major racing events, however. The high cost of specialized parts and maintaining a race team is mostly to blame…well that and the automotive apocalypse our world just went through. Details in a press release below.

Press Release:

Partial Cease of Business Activities along with Ralliart Inc’s Business Scale Down
Ralliart Inc (President Masao Taguchi) has announced as follows.

Dear all of our customers ,

First of all, we much appreciate for your usual patronage to our company.
Our company have done the various activities relating motorsport with the support of many people since the establishment in April,1984 so far. However, because of the sudden change of economy situation since the year before last, the business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc., would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010.

Along with the scale down of our business activities this time, we would cease the following business and operation which we have done so far. We would like to express our sincere apology to all of customers though we would make you much inconveniences.

Meanwhile, we wish you a continuous support to Ralliart family and entrants driving Mitsubishi cars who play an active part all over the world.

Items which would cease our business and operation along with our business scale down;

1. Support to motorsport customers(Support to the participation, Technical Support, and Awarding of Mitsubishi/Ralliart Driver of the Year)
2. New Planning, Development and Merchandize of Ralliart products (Except FIA VO parts) :*1
3. Information of new products and dispatching motorsport information(at web):*2

*1 FIA VO parts development and those application work shall be done by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation as it is.
*2 FIA Group-N information shall be open at the web site of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Date of the cease: 1st April, 2010

“For the second consecutive year, the Dakar is welcomed in South America for a challenge of 9000 kilometres leading the riders and crews on the roads, the tracks, the mountains and the deserts of Argentina and Chile. From the 1st to the 17th of January, the competitors will fight it out on 14 stages: the loop to cover, anti-clockwise, will include a thorough visit of the Atacama Desert and its gigantic dunes. The white sand close to Fiambala or the grey one in the area of Nihuil will complete the spread of colours and the variety of difficulties all along the event.”

With that we present the Mitsubishi Ralliart Edition. What, Mitsubishi is running in Dakar again? Well, umm…no. Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota and Nissan are all running the intense Rally Competition this year. But no Mitsubishi racing. Check our what could have been with this slick Lancer turned Rally Car and also these stunning 2010 Dakar Photos via Boston.com.

Dakar 2010

Mitsubishi’s concept contained the clean-diesel burning engine and a 4WD option. No word yet if a production model will have similar options, but we do know RVR is slated to be released below the Outlander. Nice to see those R&D renderings were factual. Stay tuned for more on the RVR Crossover, and read details in Mitsu’s press release below.

PRESS RELEASE – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has decided to name its all-new compact crossover the RVR. This all-new compact crossover is planned for sequential release globally, and will be first released in Japan next spring.

This new compact crossover will be released globally, including North America, Europe, and Asian regions including China.

Riding on Mitsubishi’s mid-size global platform (which also underpins the Lancer and Outlander), the compact crossover will be powered by a variety of four-cylinder engines including a new 1.8-liter turbo-diesel with 136 horsepower and 280 Nm of torque.

via: wcf