Mitsubishi unveils its i electric vehicle

Bridget and Bryson Nishimura of Waipahu took delivery of an i Monday, the first retail purchase of Mitsubishi’s new all-electric vehicle in the United States.

About 17,000 Mitsubishi i’s already are on the roads of Asia and Europe.

The Mitsubishi i competes with the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, two electric vehicles already being sold in Hawaii.

Electric vehicles "are to Hawaii what grapes are to Napa Valley," said Dave Rolf, executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association. Napa is "just right" for grapes, and Hawaii is "just right" for EVs. The temperate climate and relatively short distances make Hawaii well suited for battery-powered cars.

The i gets the equivalent of 112 miles per gallon in combined city and highway mileage. Its driving range between charges is 62.3 miles.

The Nishimuras ordered their i in April and picked it up at the state Capitol at a news conference with Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Mitsubishi executives.

"We’re going to save a lot of money" given high gas prices, Bridget Nishimura said.

The i costs about 9 cents per mile to operate (based on 30 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity), while the average gasoline-powered car in Hawaii costs about 20 cents per mile (based on $4 a gallon for gas and 20 miles per gallon), according to state data.

In a test drive, the vehicle was nearly silent upon start-up and made a sort of hissing sound as it moved from the Capitol grounds to South Beretania Street. Its 66-horsepower motor sent it zipping quickly up to speed with other cars on the road.

Hawaii consumers have expressed the highest interest in the car in the U.S., said Masatoshi Hasegawa, an executive for Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.

Hawaiian Electric Co. and Green Car Hawaii LLC, a rental car company, are among the businesses that have placed orders for the new Mitsubishi models.

HECO will add about two to its collection of about a dozen electric vehicles, said spokesman Peter Rosegg, including Leafs and Volts.

Cutter Mitsubishi in Aiea is Hawaii’s exclusive Mitsubishi dealer. About 30 i models have been delivered to the dealership so far, and a dozen of those have sold. Another 58 are on order.

Rebates of up to $4,500 from the state and $7,500 from the federal government on electric vehicle purchases as well as additional rebates for the installation of EV charging stations are available to qualified buyers. Mitsubishi advertises the car on its website for "as low as $21,625" after the tax rebates.

Drivers of electric vehicles in Hawaii with EV license plates can use the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane regardless of the number of people inside and can park free in metered stalls.

The state government is promoting electric vehicles to reduce Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil.