2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse. 2 Owners. Non Smoker. 79k Miles. on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi celebrates 100-year-old car with PHEV re-creation

Back in 1917, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. made its foray into the automotive world with the Model A. It had a production run of just 22 units, but it was enough to make Mitsubishi Motors possible as a car company. Now, 100 years later, Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is revisiting its roots, but with a contemporary touch, by re-creating the car with the help of West Coast Customs. The California-based shop will build a Mitsu Model A with its original, century-old looks, but with a modern, advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain and a host of current technology. The custom Model A will celebrate a century of Mitsubishi by building the Model A on the Outlander PHEV platform. Despite its 21st-century capabilities, the centennial celebration vehicle "will feature all the distinctive aspects of the 1917 vehicle," according to MMNA Senior Director of Marketing Francine Harsini. The original Model A was powered by a 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine making 35 horsepower. The Outlander PHEV, upon which the new Model A will be based, uses a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two electric motors providing power to all four wheels. West Coast Customs will build the plug-in Mitsubishi Model A at its facility in Burbank, Calif., with plans to finish it this summer. An episode of the Inside West Coast Customs show on the Velocity channel will feature the build of the centennial Model A. Related Video: Related Gallery 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: New York 2016 View 15 Photos News Source: Mitsubishi Green TV/Movies Mitsubishi Automotive History Electric Hybrid PHEV

Mitsubishi Mirage will launch in US with three-cylinder engine [w/video]

We have a date with Mitsubishi Mirage (again). The Japanese subcompact is slated to arrive on our shores in September 2013, and it's one of the product offerings meant to help Mitsubishi's US arm raise sales in its next financial year from 55,000 to 80,000. If next year were 1989, we'd say there's no reason that couldn't happen, but from what we've seen, the Mirage is so magnificently meek (have you seen the interior?) that we aren't sure how it will manage that kind of US sales aggression in the 21st century.
Continuing that theme, Car and Driver reports that the Mitsu will launch here with a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine. Make no mistake, this is a very popular engine in the Mirage and responsible for its excellent fuel economy. The hatch is doing so well in other markets with its two naturally aspirated tri-cylinders that the Thailand facility that builds the Mirage will have its capacity increased by 33 percent to try and meet demand. In European spec, the 845-kilogram (1,859 pounds) subcompact with the more powerful engine offering 79 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque gets 57.3 miles per US gallon and takes 11.7 seconds to get from zero to 62 miles per hour. The question is whether Mitsubishi will boost the output of that engine for our market. If not, only the 70-hp Smart ForTwo will have less horsepower - but the Mirage, interestingly enough, weighs about the same as the microcar.
On its UK site, Mitsubishi said the reveal of the Mirage in back 2011 meant "redefining the standards by which to judge a compact passenger car." We can't wait to find out if that's still true and what that means when it gets here. To prepare yourself, there's video of the Mirage in action below.

Daimler declares success in electric truck trial [w/video]

Last year, Daimler launched a project to see how eight Fuso Canter E-Cells performed in daily urban service in Portugal. After over 32,000 miles on the road, the newly released results showed astounding figures. Compared to their diesel-counterparts, the commercial EVs slashed operating costs by 64 percent. The trucks were also great for the environment with a 37-percent drop in CO2 emissions after taking into account how the country makes power. Daimler gave the trucks to Portuguese cities and businesses, and the users definitely didn't baby them. In Lisbon, the EV disposed of vegetation, and the Canter E-Cell collected recyclables in Porto. The one with the parcel service Transporta covered over 8,700 miles to make deliveries during the year. On average, the testers used the vehicles about 31 miles a day, but 68 miles was the record distance during the trial. "The results of the practical tests have shown that we are on the right track," Marc Llistosella, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation said in Daimler's announcement. The Daimler Trucks Centre of Competence for Hybrid Technology developed the small run of Canter E-Cells. The models ditch the usual 3.0-liter diesel in favor of an electric motor that produces 148 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Four lithium-ion battery packs with a total of 48.4 kWh are mounted to two sides of the frame. To maximize the range, the system begins recovering energy as soon as the driver lets off the throttle. Check out the video below for a look at how the Portuguese testers put the commercial EVs through their paces. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Silent and with zero emissions Stuttgart/Porto, Oct 30, 2015 FUSO Canter E-Cell impresses with more than 50,000 kilometres driven 64 percent lower costs compared with conventional diesel engines in customer field trials in Portugal Powerful, high-torque electric motor Targeted operating range of at least 100 kilometres achieved Stuttgart/Porto – 64 percent savings in operating costs - this is the gratifying result of the final analysis of data from customer field trials with eight FUSO Canter E-Cell trucks in Portugal. Apart from the impressive savings in operating costs, the Canter E-Cell also scores points in terms of environmental aspects.