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Wednesday, 8th April 2009

Australia Leads The World; All Electric Car Gets The Thumbs Up


Australia has become one of the first countries in the world to give a factory built, all electric vehicle approval to drive on city streets.


Today I can announce that the Mitsubishi i MiEV – a plug-in electric car – has met all the applicable Australian Design Rules; has been certified by the Australian Government; and can now be registered for use on the nation’s roads.


To mark this significant milestone, today I had the pleasure of taking the first vehicle available in Australia for a drive on the streets of Melbourne. This test drive comes just three months after I had the opportunity to inspect the vehicle at Mitsubishi’s Tokyo headquarters.


The Mitsubishi i MiEV’s represents a revolution in car design, bringing us a major step closer to ‘emissions free’ driving. The vehicle’s 47kW motor uses no petrol, and as a result produces no emissions while on the road.


At present, the transport sector contributes 14 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions.


The Mitsubishi i MiEV uses a bank of lithium ion batteries which can be charged from a normal household 240V power supply in little more than seven hours.


Fully charged, the vehicle has a range of up to 160 kilometres. Given that 85 per cent of Australians drive less than 100 kilometres a day, this vehicle would suit the lifestyles of most in our community.


The four-seater, rear wheel drive i MiEV is speed limited to a top speed of 130Km/h and has three ‘speeds’: Drive, Eco and Brake.


The vehicle is expected to go into volume production in Japan in June.


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Electorate Office

334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Phone: 02 9564 3588

Parliament House Office

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 7700

Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Authorised by Anthony Albanese. 334a Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.

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