Mitsubishi introduces its plug-in mini car as a test bed for electric motoring.
Mitsubishi's electric vehicle contribution has landed at Dublin Port. The i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) city car became the company's first Irish registered electric vehicle.
The company has introduced just one model to test the waters while Irish motorists begin to grasp the concept and practicality of plug-in cars.
The i-MiEV will be used to evaluate driving and charging behaviour in advance of the nationwide rollout of ESB charging units.
Mitsubishi's city car, which is expected to go on sale here later in the year at a cost of around €20,000, can be charged from flat to full in six hours for about €2.
The relatively spacious four-seater has a range of 160km and a top speed of 130km/h.
The i-MiEV has sold well in Japan since its launch in 2009 (1,400 units were sold as soon as it hit the showrooms).
However, it remains to be seen whether the city runabout will be a top seller for the Government's projected 10 percent of the electric vehicles that will whirr along Irish roads in 2020.