Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car to Invade Iceland

mitsubishi i miev electric car iceland image
The i MiEV Sport, image courtesy of Neolaia

The Mitsubishi i MiEV is one of the most promising electric vehicles in development (as you loyal TreeHugger readers are likely aware). And now they could become the most prevalent car in Iceland.

Hydrogen Transit Trouble
Iceland announced in 1998 that it had plans of becoming the world's first hydrogen based economy, and that the nation wanted to be fossil fuel free by 2050.

But according to a recent New York Times article, the country has had trouble maintaining hydrogen powered vehicles and transit (even though a hydrogen pumping Shell station opened in Reykjavik). It's been difficult to find enough hydrogen cell vehicles to purchase, and the hydrogen buses placed in circulation have been withdrawn. So what's a progressive country hell bent on using clean fuel to do? Why, go electric of course.

The i MiEV's Electric Rescue
Iceland has announced plans to unleash a fleet of i MiEV electric cars by Mitsubishi. And though the car won't even available in Japan until the summer of 2009 (and the i MiEV is ahead of schedule--it wasn't projected to be ready until 2010), the move still makes a lot of sense now.

As the Times states, 75 percent of the population (Iceland has around 300,000 citizens) live within 37 miles of Reykjavik. And since the i MiEV can go 100 miles on a single charge, the electric should be more than adequate for the nation's driving needs.

The i Miev will hit Iceland in 2009.

Via: New York Times

More on the i MiEV:
Mitsubishi to Test i MiEV Electric Car in California
Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car to Go Global