Mitsubishi delivers first EVs to Illinois

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NORMAL, Ill. – Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. recently delivered six brand-new 2012 Mitsubishi i electric vehicles featuring Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle technology to downstate Normal and Mayor Chris Koos in a ceremony held in the hometown of Mitsubishi Motors’ U.S. vehicle manufacturing plant.

In addition to Koos, other speakers at the event included Jerry Berwanger, executive vice president and COO of MMNA Manufacturing Division, and Ryan Gremore, general manager of O’Brien Mitsubishi in Normal.

These dignitaries handed the keys to the new Mitsubishi EVs to six Normal town council members who then experienced the 100 percent electric-powered vehicles for themselves by driving around Normal and visiting the Normal Theater and Carl’s Ice Cream Store, settings featured in the Japanese auto manufacturer’s advertising campaign for the 2012 Mitsubishi i.

“Putting these six all-electric cars into our fleet is the next major step in the EVTown initiative, which has put Normal-Bloomington in the national spotlight as a forward-thinking community,” Koos said. “The town of Normal is eager to get these cars into service and to show our community how well EVs work for a variety of tasks, even in our cold January weather.”

The event marked the first delivery of the all-electric 2012 Mitsubishi i to a customer outside the states of Hawaii, California, Oregon or Washington.

“I would like to thank the town of Normal, Mayor Chris Koos and the Normal town council members, the EV Task Force and the entire local community for all of the support they have provided to Mitsubishi Motors over the years,” said MMNA President and CEO Yoichi Yokozawa in a statement. “The town of Normal is setting an excellent example for the rest of America to follow by embracing this exciting, environmentally friendly and money-saving new form of transportation.”

For more information, visit MitsubishiCars.com/imievfleet and EVTown.org.