The Japanese company, which makes its Colt small car and Outlander sport utility vehicle at its Netherlands Car (NedCar) plant, said it would not allocate a new model to the facility when production of both cars stops at the end of the year.

NedCar, located in Born near Maastricht, employs 1,500 people and was opened in 1991, originally as a joint venture with Volvo Cars and the Dutch government. Mitsubishi bought out its partners and became the plant’s sole owner in 2001.

The Japanese carmaker said that because of the “wildly fluctuating operating environment which automobile manufacturers currently face”, it could not come up with a reasonable solution to use NedCar in its global production structure.

“In the current economic environment, there was no way we could viably envisage a new car at NedCar,” it said. “It has to do with exchange rates; it has to do with labour costs.”

Mitsubishi said Europe would continue to be an important market but that it would produce and deliver models for Europe from Japan and Thailand.

Car plant closures are a rarity in western Europe because of political and union pressure to preserve jobs and national laws that require carmakers to seek alternatives before shutting down. General Motors’ European Opel marque and Fiat are the only two carmakers to have shut plants since the financial crisis began in 2008.

read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6d7bae80-50b4-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1nRCVDASN

The car, which is set to go on sale in the second half of 2012, is said buy the company to be “A strategic and innovative premium vehicle that will reflect a gradual transformation in Mitsubishi’s design language.”

It’s the first time that Mitsubishi has unveiled such an important global car at the show and it will be the start of a entirely new range of vehicles for the company, which will include new cars, crossovers and SUVs, as well as a re-focused design language.

Further details on the car will be announced closer to the show.

Read more: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/motorshows/geneva-motor-show-2012/geneva-motor-show-2012-new-mitsubishi-models-to-be-unveiled/

What’s more, more than half (51.4%) of those surveyed said that they had delayed servicing their car to save money over the last three years, suggesting that motorists are being forced to cut corners on safety and reliability for short term savings.

Commenting on the findings, Roland Head, founder of SimpleMotoring.co.uk said:

“Reducing car usage to save money on fuel may well be a good thing – many people use their cars for short journeys which could easily be walked. Cars use a lot of extra fuel on short journeys with cold engines, so avoiding them generates easy savings for drivers.

More worrying is the trend towards delaying or omitting car servicing. Regular servicing is essential to keep cars safe and reliable and it also contributes to a car’s resale value – car owners will get less when they sell their car if it has a patchy service history.”

When times are tough, saving money on motoring is essential and one of the best ways to do this is to reduce car use and maximise fuel consumption. SimpleMotoring.co.uk has put together five easy tips for car owners to help them shrink their fuel bills:

1. Plan car usage to combine journeys and avoid using your car for journeys of less than a mile. Walk instead – it’s healthier for you and your car and it’s free.
2. Keep your speed down on main roads and you will be surprised at how your fuel consumption improves – stick to 55mph on single carriageways and 60mph on motorways for maximum savings without losing much time.
3. Make sure yourtyres are correctly inflated at all times – underinflated tyres cause increased drag and hence increased fuel consumption.
4. Don’t carry around unnecessary clutter in your boot and remove roof boxes if they are not in use. The extra weight and drag will increase your car’s fuel consumption.
5. Check out the cheapest fuel prices online before you fill up – but don’t go out of your way to save 1p/litre – you will end up spending more than this on the extra fuel you use to get to the garage.

Mitsubishi is creating what it claims is the UK’s largest dealer network for electric cars, in order to help meet growing demand for green cars and prepare for the launch of its new plug-in hybrid.

The company confirmed this week that all of its franchised dealers will become fully functioning Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle Centres from this month and by the end of March each will have two trained EV sales personnel as well as aftersales technicians.

The Japanese manufacturer launched the all-electric iMiEV supermini worldwide last year, while also debuting the MINICAB-MiEV, a light commercial electric van, on the Japanese market in November.

In addition, the company has indicated it will introduce its first plug-in hybrid vehicle to the UK within 18 months.

The car is likely to be a variant of the PX-MiEV II concept first displayed at the Tokyo motorshow last year, which appears to be modelled on the Outlander compact SUV. It is expected to boast a pure electric range of 31 miles and is widely expected to hit forecourts in April 2013.

Article source – http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2135311/mitsubishi-primes-uks-largest-ev-dealer-network

The lucky customers? Well, Mitsubishi couldn’t have asked for two more willing spokespeople. The first i was delivered to Bryson and Bridget Nishimura of Waipahu, Hawaii, a retired couple who absolutely gushed about their purchase during a ceremony at the state capitol attended by Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Mitsubishi execs and a gaggle of reporters including CBS News, according to Mitsubishi.

“We purchased the 2012 Mitsubishi i primarily to save on gas – we currently spend about $70 a week on fuel. But it should cost us only around $3 for a full charge of electricity – that’s going to be a great savings for us! Long-term, the Mitsubishi i should save us at least $3,000 a year,” said Bryson Nishimura.

“I think the car is so cute,” Bridget Nishimura added enthusiastically. “Plus, I like that it’s roomy and it’s a hatchback. It’s going to be so good for the earth – we’re both way on board with it.”

In Hawaii, there’s more to just driving an electric vehicle than just reduced operating costs. Hawaii offers people who buy electric cars a $4,500 tax credit. Consumers who take advantage of the state credit and a $7,500 federal tax credit should wind up paying about $16,000 for the car. As an added bonus,  EV drivers on the islands don’t have to pay for parking in metered spots and they are also able drive in carpool lanes on freeways no matter how many passengers are in the car.

Mitsubishi will now begin the i rollout in California, Washington and Oregon, where it is available for test drives at certified Mitsubishi i dealers, and the majority of the U.S. will get the vehicle by summer 2012.

The company is targeting 75 locations, aiming to open 16 new stores in 2012.

It will buy or lease dealership sites of between 2,000 and 5,000 sq ft on prominent roadside locations and retail parks with parking for 10 or more vehicles.

It will also consider site sharing and is particularly targeting affluent catchment areas.

Alisdair James, partner with Rapleys, the property consultant representing Majestic, said ex-dealership premises were often ideal for the Majestic business model and the company had a flexible approach to layout.

“If it is capable of refurbishment and conversion, they are happy to do that. It all depends on the economics,” he said.

Ex-dealership properties so far include a Mercedes outlet in West Kirby, a Ford dealership in Evesham, a Peugeot dealership in Clitheroe and a Mitsubishi dealership in Ripon.

Mitsubishi Motors UK suggested that there is a great long-term benefit from owning a more eco-friendly vehicle.

However, the company mentioned that lifestyle choices should be considered when thinking of purchasing a vehicle that runs off electricity as it may not suit everyone, for example large families who make a lot of journeys.

But the financial benefits in the long run are the same, according to Alistair Rhead, electric vehicle manager at Mitsubishi Motors in the UK. He said: “There is going to be a break-even point in the life cycle, but there are benefits to be had with running costs and the other costs associated with the vehicle.”

Mr Rhead added that to charge a vehicle on an economy 7-based tariff costs about £1.05, so it is a very cost-effective way to run for shorter periods of time.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV plug-in electric car is on sale now. Prices start from £23,990.

Article source – http://www.choicequote.co.uk/news/car/privatecar_mitsubishi-says-electric-cars-are-cost-effective.asp

Mitsubishi’s tribute starts with it going through the Eclipse’s four generations, allowing us to see where exactly the Eclipse went wrong. The first generation Eclipse was produced from 1990 to 1994, and was notable for being available with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 producing 195-hp. The second generation Eclipse, built from 1995 to 1999, picked up where the first gen left off. Popular with tuners, the second-gen Eclipse’s turbo 2.0-liter I-4 produced 210-hp and continued to be available with all-wheel drive.

When Y2K hit, things started to go wrong with the Eclipse. The 2000-2005 Eclipse lost its turbo, and the ability to use its rear wheels. The front-drive only third gen produced 205-hp out of a (heavier) 3.0-liter V-6, rather than a smaller turbo four-banger. Things didn’t get much better from there; the current, and final generation Eclipse bowed in 2005 with 263-hp being produced from a 3.8-liter V-6. But it was too late, tuners had moved on, and being ‘sporty’ was no longer enough to attract buyers.

Read More – http://wot.motortrend.com/video-find-last-mitsubishi-eclipse-rolls-off-the-line-126475.html

Mitsubishi models such as Colt and Outlander are produced at Mitsubishi’s NedCar plant in Holland and the L200 is produced at Mitsubishi’s factory in Thailand. Vehicles such as Shogun, ASX, Lancer, Lancer Evolution X and the electric i-MiEV are all produced at the following plants in Japan:

Although the plants were unaffected, some of Mitsubishi’s key supplier have been affected causing Mitsubishi to suspend production until today. UK operations of the Japanese carmaker have confirmed that there are at least 4 months of vehicle supply on the ground in the UK.

Mitsubishi has also today launched a fund-raising campaign for UK head office staff and its 120 strong dealer network to support the Red Cross Appeal and Save the Children.

A live link to the Red Cross and Save the Children can be found on the Mitsubishi Motors UK website at www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk.

The Japanese Red Cross has been working on the ground since the disaster began, mobilising 86 teams, made up of around 600 doctors, nurses and support staff, to provide first aid and healthcare and assess the damage and needs of the communities affected.

Up to 100,000 children have been displaced because of the earthquake and tsunami. Save the Children has launched a £1 million appeal to help families affected by the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami and have a team in Japan who are responding to the needs of children.

• EVs are comparatively refined, with wind noise and a gentle whir from the electric motor likely to be the only intrusion.

2. How far can you travel on one charge?
• The Nissan Leaf can cover between 90 to 110 miles, as can the forthcoming Volvo C30 Electric. The Golf-sized BMW i3 will have a range of 100-130 miles when it is launched in 2013. However, heavy-footed driving will drastically slash the range of all EVs.

• You’ll also notice the car slows down a lot quickly than a conventionally powered vehicle. This is because EVs have a regenerative braking system, which uses braking energy to recharge the battery.

• Mitsubishi’s I-Miev, along with the near-identical Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot Ion, will all manage to cover around 90 miles.

• Some smaller EVs that are intended for city use have a shorter range – the Citroen C1-based ECC C1 Ev’ie has a range of just 60 miles.

• The sporty Tesla Roadster has a claimed range of up to 220 miles – and a price of around £90,000.

3. Where can you charge an electric car?
• There are currently just a few hundred charging points nationally, which means many owners will have to use domestic sockets.

• Energy Secretary Chris Huhne announced recently that the Government plans to invest £30 million installing up to 8500 charging points across the UK by 2013.

• London Mayor Boris Johnson had announced plans for 7500 EV charging points across the capital, but this has been scaled back to 1300 following the Government spending review.

• A map of charging points is available at www.ev-network.org.uk. The website also has a smartphone app, allowing you to search for charging points along your route.