Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV is moving all over the world. The latest stop for the super-cute little Electric Vehicle is Thailand, where Mitsubishi Motors Thailand and the Thai company NED (Natural Energy Development Co., Ltd) have signed a memorandum of understanding.
NED is a power company devoted to developing renewable energy. Currently, NED is building one of the largest solar power plants in the world in central Thailand’s Lopburi Province that will have an output of 73 megawatts.
Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh), with the full understanding and cooperation of Mitsubishi Motors, is undertaking a joint research project with NED and the Thai federal government to test the feasibility of electric vehicles. The electric vehicle of choice for the test is the versatile Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The partnership with Thailand’s federal government goes all the way back to late 2010, when Mitsubishi i-MiEV conducted a number of driving tests. The tests apparently went well, as a second round of tests was conducted nine months later. The 2011 test run also saw Thailand’s metropolitan power distribution companies and their provincial subsidiaries participating, as well as the oil company PTT Public.
Electric Vehicles are clearly cleaner and greener when powered by renewable energy – there’s not much point in zero emissions from the tailpipe if the plant generating the electricity is belching out coal smoke. Enter NED and their massive solar power plant, which could be a major contributing factor in a potential nation-wide Electric Vehicle charging network, and the memorandum of understanding geared toward finding the best way to market Electric Vehicles in Thailand.
Interesting to know, the name of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV comes as am abbreviation of Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. It is a five door hatchback electric vehicle, and it is sold in Europe by PSA Peugeot Citroën (PSA) as the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero.
On the Japanese test cycle the Mitsubishi i-MiEV had an all-electric range of 160 kilometers (100 miles), but this was estimated differently in many countries. Statistically the range is affected by driving style, speed and number of passenger, compartment heating and cooling, also the strong winds can make a noticeable difference.
