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Mitsubishi Electric unveils Emirai 4 autonomous EV concept for Tokyo

Mitsubishi Electric – a separate arm from Mitsubishi Motors ­– specializes in electronics. That includes things like air conditioning and refrigerators, but also covers a number of automotive systems and parts ranging from engine control units to power steering to electrification products. Now, Mitsubishi Electric is putting that expertise to use in the field of future mobility, unveiling an entire concept car, called the Emirai 4, for the Tokyo Motor Show. The Emirai 4 is electric, and can switch between normal and autonomous driving. It has a head-up display that uses augmented reality, powered by high-accuracy 3D mapping and positioning tech, to emphasize lane markings, making them more visible at night or in lousy weather. A central display is equipped with a sliding knob that can be assigned various functions, and is intended to help the driver keep their eyes on the road. The car is also equipped with a driver sensing system. It uses an interior camera to monitor the driver and passenger by detecting head position and posture. It can alert the driver to unsafe driving, respond to the driver or passenger's individual conditions to make them more comfortable, and aids in providing a smooth transition between autonomous and manual driving modes. The Emirai 4 also features an intelligent lighting system that detects when someone is going to open the door. That way, it can project an image onto the road and light up an alert on the rear of the car to alert passersby, hopefully preventing a collision with the door buy a pedestrian, cyclist, or another motorist. We'll be at the Tokyo Motor Show, so we'll be able to dig a little deeper into how these systems work (and get some better photos) when we see the Emirai 4 in person. This won't be the only concept bearing the Mitsubishi name at the Tokyo Motor Show. Mitsubishi Motors is planning its own unveiling of an electric vehicle called the e-Evolution. That all-wheel-drive SUV uses artificial intelligence to improve your driving skills. Mitsubishi has been teasing the e-Evolution, which borrows its name from the hardcore Lancer we all know and love, and it will get its full reveal next week. Related Video:

Mitsubishi had a shockingly good year in the U.S., and here's why

The year 2017 was a very good one for Mitsubishi in the United States. For the first time since 2007, the company sold more than 100,000 cars and crossovers here. Most of the credit goes to the Outlander, which sold just over 8,700 more examples this year than in 2016 for a total of 35,310. It was also the overall bestseller for the company in America. Its slightly smaller cousin, the Outlander Sport, was the second-best with 33,160 units, a number that barely changed from 2016. Also interesting to note is that each of Mitsubishi's crossovers roughly equaled the total number of traditional car sales, which include the last Lancers, Evos and i-MiEVs, as well as the Mirage hatch and Mirage G4 sedan. The Lancer actually did all right considering it was phased out in the middle of last year, selling over 12,000 units, almost as many as in 2016. Mirage hatchback sales dropped quite significantly at just over 6,000, but Mirage G4 sedan sales increased by roughly the same amount. Considering the weaker car sales, Mitsubishi has probably made the right decision to focus on expanding its crossover line with the all-new Eclipse Cross launching this year, and the newly available Outlander PHEV. This milestone also marks Mitsubishi's slow and steady gains lately. According to the company, this is the fifth year of increased sales in the U.S. And on a global scale, the company saw gains, too. Its sales topped 1 million worldwide compared with 934,000 in 2016. In China sales were up over 50 percent, and it also saw sales increases in the Germany, Russia, Japan, Australia, and many countries in southeast Asia. So it seems Mitsubishi is making a nice little turnaround for itself. Related Video:

Mitsubishi recalling i-MiEV models for brake problem

Mitsubishi is issuing a recall for the 2010-2014 i-MiEV that affects 1,810 units of the little electric car, because it's possible for the brake vacuum pump to stop working. If this happens, the result would be longer stopping distances, according to the company. The affected models were built between September 15, 2009, and March 25, 2014.
While this is just a single recall, there are actually two things that can cause this brake problem on the i-MiEV, according to Mitsubishi's filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. First, bad programming in the EV-ECU could cause the system to "falsely judge that the relay contact point is stuck," according to the full NHTSA defect notice PDF. Second, the vacuum pump exhaust hole could be corroded and blocked due to being splashed with road salt. However, the company says that if either fault happens, the brake warning lamp would illuminate, and there would be an audible alarm.
Depending on which issue is affecting an owner's i-MiEV, Mitsubishi is going to reprogram the software, replace the pump or both. Scroll down to read the recall report from NHTSA.