The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is in a race against time to establish itself in the market ahead of its rival the Nissan LEAF – and efforts are now being taken to ramp up production.
Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture between GS Yuasa, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, is expected to build a new plant in Ritto City that will produce 4.4million cells a year – enough to equip around 50,000 Mitsubishi i-MiEV models.
The investment in the plant and equipment will reach Y37.5billion and follows on from Lithium Energy Japan running at full capacity producing 200,000 cells a year on line one since its introduction in June last year.
In addition, the company is also investing in a production line at its Kyoto works and from December 2010 will produce one million cells a year.
The Ritto plant should be up and running in the second half of fiscal year 2012, at which point Lithium Energy Japan will be able to produce six million cells a year. It expects to expand its operations to accommodate 100,000 electric vehicles a year in the future.
