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Watch Mitsubishi break the EV record at Pikes Peak

Take a listen folks - you're hearing the eventual future of motorsports. This is Greg Tracy and the Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III as they assault the treacherous course at Pikes Peak in just 9:08.188.
This run is significant for a number of reasons. As we recapped in our Pikes Peak finale post, Tracy's run was a mere two seconds off the best overall time at this year's event, snagging him and Mitsubishi second place overall, as well as first in the Electric Modified class and the fourth fastest time ever recorded. Perhaps more importantly, though, Tracy thoroughly trounced the previous EV record at Pikes Peak, beating the legendary Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima's 2013 best of 9:46.530.
It's an impressive feat, and now you can experience the whole run from as near a first-person viewpoint as you're going to get. Scroll down and have a look.

Renault plans to sail — literally, sail — on new class of cargo ship

Going green on the ocean may take another step toward reality in about two years, when Renault is expected to load automobiles aboard wind-powered ships for delivery around the world. The partnership between the car maker and Neoline, a French-based company, aims to reduce Renault’s global carbon footprint by eliminating many of the emissions from traditional fuel-powered cargo ships. Neoline officials said that, when propelled solely by the wind, their sailing ships' total emissions drop by as much as 90 percent. The roll-on-roll-off ships will use solid sails that are 50 meters tall. The company says it will start testing the program in 2024 by transporting vehicles to North America and other locales from Saint-Nazaire, in western France. Renault has pledged to achieve zero carbon in Europe by 2030 and worldwide by 2050. Renault, now part of an alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, hasnÂ’t sold cars in the U.S. market under its own brand name since 1987. A U.S. return as been considered for years, and the partners are now in talks that could reshape the alliance. The shipper's intent to deliver vehicles to North America is an intriguing wrinkle to those talks. The firm says that about 300 to 400 vehicles can be shipped on each Neoline vessel, although the loading will take longer that it would using a traditional cargo ship. A demonstration vessel shown was 446 feet in total length and had more than 45,000 square feet of sail. The partnership between Renault and Neoline was first announced in 2018.   Green Mitsubishi Nissan Green Culture

Mitsubishi realigning its SUV range to create more size difference

A report in Autocar says Mitsubishi wants more literal space between its three core SUVs. The outlet quotes "a senior source" saying, "Today we aren't in an ideal position, with our SUVs close in size, but in the next 18 months you will start to see a strategy that separates them out." Redesigns for the next generation of the Outlander, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport will put about 200 millimeters' (7.9 inches) difference in length between each. Right now, the Outlander stands 184.8 inches long, the Eclipse Cross 173.4 inches long, and the Outlander Sport is scarcely smaller at 171.9 inches long. Autocar says the revamp would see the Outlander grow, while the Outlander Sport gets smaller. Based on the comments, if the Outlander gets longer, then we wouldn't be surprised at seeing the Eclipse Cross putting on a few inches, too. The first fruit should blossom next year, and be possible thanks to platform-sharing within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Comparing Mitsubishi to Nissan's formula, the Rogue is 184.5 inches long, the Rogue Sport 172.4 inches. We don't get the Juke any more, which is 162.8 inches long; our Nissan Kicks extends 169.1 inches. The coming range will extend plug-in hybrid and full electric options, too. Naturally, the Outlander PHEV will make the jump to a new generation, and the Eclipse Cross will come in hybrid and PHEV flavors. An updated PHEV powertrain shown in the Engelberg Tourer Concept at the Geneva Motor Show paired a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors at the axles, for 44 miles of EV range on the WLTP cycles. That's 16 more EV miles than the current Outlander PHEV can go. The Outlander Sport will get a battery-electric trim. The "senior source" said, "We will not have a unique nameplate, but instead offer the appropriate electrification options for the vehicles and how people will use them." There's likely a lot more in store for the brand, especially in the U.S., although we have no idea what that is. Takao Kato will take over as CEO of Mitsubishi global next month, with the mandate of carrying out the carmaker's "small but beautiful" strategy. The initiative puts steady growth and profit ahead of disruptive leaps. Kato has experience in the U.S., having helped set up the joint manufacturing plant with Chrysler in Illinois in 1988. Even so, he's said of our region, "It's not easy to be in that market," and would only go so far as saying "probably not" when asked if leaving the U.S. is an option.