Yoshikazu Nakamura

Mitsubishi rolled out the tiny "i" electric minicar (nee i-MiEV) during last week’s 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, confirming its eventual sale in the fall of 2011. But all-electric vehicles are just one avenue the Japanese automaker is investigating as it attempts to curb emissions and end the world’s reliance on oil as a fuel source. Plug-in hybrid technology is another area where Mitsubishi hopes to be a leader. At last year's LA show, it previewed a compact SUV concept powered by an internal combustion engine and a pair of electric motors. The concept was the 2009 Mitsubishi...