AllSmallCars.com has been following the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, now know to the U.S. market as only “i,” for a couple of years now. However, it seemed as though the eagerness had cooled off when Nissan beat Mitsubishi to the punch by releasing its longer range and larger Leaf electric vehicle (EV). Soon that won’t be the case as Mitsubishi i is scheduled to go on sale in States in November 2011. The question is how popular will it be?

According to our colleagues over at AllCarsElectric.com, the requests for information on the Mitsubishi i from potential customers have more than doubled in the past month. The common speculation is that the worldwide rise in gas prices are causing consumers to face the scary nature of EV adoption head on. In order to capture some of this interest Mitsubishi has said they will be releasing a new pre-order website for the i within the next 90-days.

As an aside, the U.S. version of the i will not be the same as the vehicle sold in Asia and Europe. The 2012 Mitsubishi i will become larger for the U.S. market including being nearly a foot longer and 4.5 inches wider. It will also receive a face lift to make it more appealing to American consumers. The safety features will be upgraded to include adaptive passenger airbags, larger bumpers and a wider track.  

Bottom line—if you just can’t wait to get your hands on the Mitsubishi i, then keep an eye out for the pre-order website.

 

[Source: AllCarsElectric.com]