Honda and Mitsubishi Both Make Reveals at the LA Auto Show

The LA Auto Show has been host to a series of green vehicle announcements. With Toyota making their big announcements concerning new electric vehicle models and Buick announcing their first hybrid vehicle, the sports utility and luxury vehicle markets have had a touch of green. Jaguar has decided to spice things up with their electric sports car called the C-X75 and the Chevrolet Volt has been crowned the 2011 Green Car of the Year. However, those announcements combined are merely a drop in the pail as other car manufactures continue to boast about their own green vehicle plans and designs.

Last week, during the press exclusive portion of the LA Auto Show, Honda announced some of their own green vehicle plans. One of the biggest reveals came in the form of Honda's newest Fit, or Jazz as it is sometimes called, electric vehicle model. The Honda Fit EV is currently looking at a 2012 release on various markets and will be using technology that has been researched by Honda's hydrogen fuel cell departments. The vehicle is expected to have a top speed around sixty two miles per hour and to use a six kilowatt lithium ion battery that is working with an all electric motor. The Fit EV is believed to have a range of around seventy to hundred miles depending on the driving conditions.

Mitsubishi has also had a strong showing at the LA Auto Show with reveals for the American green vehicle market and for future plans on electric and hybrid vehicles. One of the earliest reveals, which came at the beginning of the show, was for an American model of the i-MiEV. The i-MiEV is a smaller "micro" car with an all electric engine that has been tested in some areas of the United States and is currently for sale in certain countries around the world. Mitsubishi expects to bring a four seat version of the car to the United States sometime in 2012.

On top of the i-MiEV reveal, news has also been released that Mitsubishi is planning on releasing a hybrid version of their Outland sports utility vehicle model. The Outland hybrid model is expected to use two electric motors to drive all four of the vehicles wheels and to have a range of around thirty miles while using all electric power. While no physical reveal for the Outland hybrid model has been announced, Mitsubishi did say that they expected to have it ready by 2012.

Both Honda and Mitsubishi have made an impressive round of announcements and reveals for the LA Auto Show this year. As all of the car manufacturers seem to be targeting 2012 for the release of their earliest electric, fuel cell, and hybrid vehicle models, it will be interesting to see if all of the companies are able to hit their targets.

Photo Credit: Honda