Mitsubishi Motor Corp. will introduce a small electric to compliment it’s already strong line of gas-mizer cars to sell at its U.S. dealerships. The U.S. market launch is tentatively scheduled to occur after Europe’s in late 2010.

The model, a Japan-built ultra-compact with a 330-volt lithium-ion battery, is currently being road-tested in Oregon. Mitsubishi plans to begin marketing the car in Japan in July, and to introduce the car in Europe in 2010.

Mitsubishi has been showing the model to audiences around the world in recent weeks, dubbed the i MiEV. A left-hand-drive version of the i MiEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) was shown at the New York auto show.

The Japanese version will sell for about $30,000, after government subsidies are deducted.

The car will undergo changes for the U.S. market, including a slight widening of the body. But it will remain largely as is…a model designated as a “kei car“ in Japan, representing vehicles that are roughly the size of Daimler’s Smart car.

The U.S. version will have two rows of seats.

The decision to sell the EV in the United States follows a pattern emerging at Mitsubishi to reposition itself as a small-car brand.

The battle to build fuel efficient cars is really heating up, most manufacturers want a piece of the market. “We can’t be ignorant about this subject”, Brian at GotEngines.com said to me. He expects the current market for replacement engines to remain strong for quite a while. It will be a process through attrition covering many years before we can say that fossil fuels are being phased out.

“We will change with the times”  Brian said. “As our market changes, so will we,  business is all about staying on top of things”. The goal is to prepare your car to last as long as possible by maintaining the integrity of the vehicle. We preach maintenance for every part of your car especially the forgotten stuff like rear differential lubrication and a good old fashioned look for anything that looks out of place.

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