Carsales adds Mitsu i-MiEV

Mitsubishi has released the names of its Foundation Group customers for the company's new i-MiEV electric vehicle. It reads like a who's who of energy providers, financial institutions, government bodies, fleet managers and motoring associations -- but in there also is the Carsales Network.

Carsales.com.au will add an i-MiEV to its 50-strong fleet of company vehicles in September. In addition to normal fleet vehicle usage and editorial evaluation, we plan some 'special' activities for Australia's first all-electric production car.

"The i-MiEV is a great fit for our company," said CEO Greg Roebuck.

"As a technology-driven company, we're very keen to support the roll out of the next generation of vehicles," he said.

According to Roebuck: "Carsales has a commitment to the environment and supporting sustainable motoring -- the i-MiEV trial is a concrete demonstration of that commitment. Who knows, not too far into the future a large proportion of our fleet might be all-EV."

"I'm really looking forward to getting up close and experiencing the i-MiEV personally," he said.

For its part, Mitsubishi is very pleased with the way Australian customers have got behind its electric vehicle technology roll-out.

"We have three times as many applicants as vehicles at this point. We could not have wished for a better response," said Mitsubishi Australia CEO and president, Masahiko Takahashi.

When Mitsubishi revealed that it would establish a Foundation Customer Group to lease 40 units of the i-MiEV, which complies fully with Australian Design Rules and can be recharged from a 15-Amp outlet in a household garage, the Carsales Network immediately decided to show support for the green initiative.

The other members of the Foundation Group are:

Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
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
Google
Hume Building Society
Leaseplan
Mitsubishi Australia Limited
Ozgene
Rock Constructions
Roche Products
St George Bank
Western Power