The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has been a vehicle on the AllSmallCars.com radar for quite a while now. We have reported on royalty driving it, different driving reviews and most recently the announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show that the little four-seater vehicle will be coming to the U.S. as an all-electric vehicle under a different name (more here). Yes, the i-MiEV, or Mitsubishi “i” as it will be known here in the States, is still capturing the attention of the automotive media—and it has reached a major production milestone.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) aren’t known for their large production runs, at least not yet. That is why Mitsubishi is proud to see their mini electric car reach the 5000 unit production milestone. Of those 5000 units, about 3000 have been sold to consumers and businesses in Japan. For those keeping track, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV began production in June 2009 at the Mizushima plant. The start of the production of the i-MiEV also marks the first major automaker to begin mass production of an electric vehicle.

It looks like Mitsubishi isn’t going to stop their since they have recently began production of a version of the i-MiEV for Europe and, as we reported earlier, the U.S. version is scheduled to launch sometime late in 2011. Be sure to check out the Mitsubishi “i” article right here at AllSmallCars.com and follow the links to our partners over at TheCarConnection.com for a recent first drive.

 

[Source: Leftlane News]