Islands seem like the perfect venues for electric vehicles. Compared to the mainland, the distances travelled there are shorter and the speeds are lower, which means EVs may well find happy haven in places where tourists also go to relax -- places like Hawaii, for example. Now, the State of Hawaii has joined with Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. (MMNA) to improve the infrastructure and deployment for the new Mitsubishi i and other advanced electric-powered vehicles (EVs) for residents of America’s tropical island paradise.
“Mitsubishi’s agreement and its choice of Hawaii as one of its launch states are important and welcome steps toward the state’s clean-energy goal of 70 percent by 2030,” says Estrella Seese, acting energy program administrator in Hawaii’s State Energy Office. “Car buyers interested in electric vehicles can reduce the cost of owning these cars with purchase rebates and incentives for installing chargers in their homes being offered by DBEDT with support from federal stimulus funds. We encourage people to take advantage of these great offers because more EVs on the road means Hawaii reduces its dependence on imported oil.”
Mitsubishi Motors has selected Hawaii to be among the first states to receive the North American spec production version of its electric-powered vehicle, the Mitsubishi i. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $27,990 for the base ES model -- before a federal tax credit of $7,500 and Hawaii’s clean-energy rebate of up to $4,500 (subject to availability of funding) -- the Mitsubishi i is the most affordably priced mass-produced electric vehicle available in the United States. Licensed drivers will be able to test-drive the new Mitsubishi i at Cutter Mitsubishi in Aiea, Hawaii, this fall.
