Mitsubishi Motors has provided a dozen of their electric vehicles, which they have named i-MEVs, to the University of Southern California’s Smart Grid Living Laboratory, which is simulating a city having a population between 50,000 to 60,000 citizens, tourists, and visitors, along with two hospitals, in order to help cities of all sizes to develop game plans for cost-effective electric vehicle infrastructure for drivers of electric-powered vehicles.
In our video you see one of the Mitsubishi Motors USC i-MiEVs as it was delivered to the USC Smart Grid Living Laboratory program during the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Mitsubishi also donated several Level 2 EV charging systems.
Students in the USC program are documenting their experiences operating a fleet of electric vehicles under a wide range of conditions and simulations over a period of two years.
On June 4, 2013, Mitsubishi announced a recall of the i-MiEV vehicles they’d sold in Japan, as well as 50 of the vehicles sold internationally. Mitsubishi halted production of the i-MiEV until repairs were made to those which were recalled.
Investigations into the battery issue focused on its manufacturer, Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture with Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp. the same company that makes the batteries for the Boeing Dreamliner at a different plant, with different materials and designs.
And all of the USC Mitsubishi Motors i-MiEVs are still fine.
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