The winner will be announced February 3, 2009 at the Washington Auto Show in Washington D.C.
"We are pleased the i MiEV is getting this recognition," said Dan Kuhnert, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America. "Its design and execution are ideally suited to meet the urban transportation needs of a rapidly changing world."
The zero-emission i MiEV uses a state-of-the-art, 330-volt lithium-ion battery to power a 47 kW permanent-magnet motor. The compact, lightweight battery is situated under the floor, its small size helping to maximize the roomy four-passenger cabin while minimizing the car's overall footprint.
"Vehicles offering dramatically improved environmental performance are crucial to helping us move beyond today's challenges of oil dependence and growing environmental impacts," explained Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com.
Having completed extensive fleet-testing in Japan for the past two years, Mitsubishi's inventive i MiEV is currently undergoing fleet testing in a joint effort with two California utilities-Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric. It is scheduled to go on sale to the public in Japan this summer.
Press release via Mitsubishi