Sunday, January 16, 2011

Mitsubishi Motors, discount retailer tie up on EVs

Mitsubishi Motors and Japanese automotive electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc. folded hands for sale on Tuesday to promote the proliferation of electric cars in Japan, after their car with zero emissions, along with consumer electronics.

In the first tie-up of its kind in Japan, Bic Camera, one of the nation’s leading discount retailers of consumer electronics, Mitsubishi Motors shows i MiEV electric car in four of its largest stores in and around Tokyo TestPlayers and information on car buyers.

Mitsubishi Motors, which is the first major manufacturer to start selling electric cars and battery become in recent years, even in discussions to sell electric cars, possibly through U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co.

“To ensure that this class of cars new market penetration, we must go beyond the boundaries of our industry,” Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko, during a press conference at the Bic Camera store, near Tokyo, to a high levelGinza shopping district.

“Given that electric cars have no tailpipe emissions, it could end up in something that could be used inside the house, how to transform the consumer electronics,” Masuko said.

He added, Mitsubishi Motors, one of the smallest cars sold in Japan could be more to win a cross-section of consumers around the approach to Bic Camera, the products from cell phones to alcohol.

Bic Camera President Hiroyuki Miyajima said the discounterconsider the use of promotional activities to other stores in Japan.

Mitsubishi Motors expects to produce up to 9000 i-MiEV car in March 31 next year ramp up to 40,000 from the 2012/13 fiscal year. It ’started to export cars last month, even under the brand French partner PSA Peugeot Citroen are delivered to Europe.

Mitsubishi Motors also said on Tuesday will reveal the North American version of the i-MiEV world premiere in Los AngelesAuto Show next week. The car has to go on sale in North America in autumn 2011.

Shares of Mitsubishi Motors rose 1.0 per cent, and Bic Camera has increased 0.5 percent last week, better than the main index in Tokyo TOPIX, which decreased slightly.