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Mitsubishi says it will make money from EVs

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the lowest-cost plug-in vehicle available in the US. The spartan EV's small price tag shouldn't lead you to believe the company doesn't see dollar signs where there's a plug. Mitsubishi says that electric vehicles are one of the three profitable segments that have helped the company get back into the black. The other two are light trucks and crossovers. We suspect that the resounding success of the Outlander PHEV played a bigger role in this than the i-MiEV, but you never know. Mitsubishi Motors Corp president Tetsuro Aikawa told Automotive News that the company will keeps its focus on those three segments and ease back on sedans and performance cars. To that end, the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid will come to the US next April, many years after it went on sale in Japan and Europe. The vehicle will fit well with Mitsubishi's plans to shift its strategy to SUVs and CUVs here. Related Video:

Chrysler recalling 67k trucks with manual transmissions

Earlier this month, Chrysler announced the recall of some 280,000 pickup trucks over concerns that their axles could seize up. Now the automaker has announced an entirely separate recall of another 66,819 trucks over the springs that could break in the clutch ignition interlock switch. The recall affects Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups, as well as the Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi Raider. The issue is relevant only to those trucks fitted with manual transmissions, from the 2006 and 2007 model years and manufactured between July 1, 2005, and July 31, 2006. Since a broken spring could, according to statements issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FCA US LLC (previously known as the Chrysler Group) prevent the vehicle from starting, or cause it to move unintentionally once the ignition kicks over, the automaker will begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles just before Valentine's Day to bring their trucks into their local dealers to have the clutch ignition interlock switch replaced. FCA emphasizes, however, that the unintended movement would only occur "in rare cases" and only "if recommended starting procedures are not followed." Only one such case is known to have occurred, but it did regrettably result in a fatality. Statement: Clutch Ignition Interlock Switch December 29, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is launching a voluntary global recall of an estimated 66,819 older-model pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions. The Company will replace their clutch ignition interlock switches at no charge to customers. An investigation by FCA US engineers discovered switches in certain model-year 2006 and 2007 pickups may be equipped with spring wire that differs from wire used in previous switches. The alternate wire may break and, as a result, the vehicles may not start. In rare cases, a vehicle may – if recommended starting procedures are not followed – exhibit unintended movement when its ignition key is turned. The Company is aware of one fatality related to this campaign. It stemmed from the single known accident involving this population of vehicles. The recall covers certain Dodge Dakota, Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 and Mitsubishi Raider pickups. Switches with the alternate wire were not used in any vehicles produced before July of 2005, or after June of 2006. The Dakota and Raider are no longer in production.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is fourth plug-in to reach 100,000 sales

After what seems like a lifetime of delays, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will finally arrive in this US in " late summer, early fall." What's taken so long? Well, Mitsubishi had to sell 100,000 of the big plug-in hybrids in Europe and Japan first, apparently. You could see the milestone coming, since sales have been strong in the markets where the Outlander PHEV was available, with around two-thirds of its sales coming from Europe, Hybrid Cars says. When we spoke with Don Swearingen, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) earlier this year, he said that sales of around 200-400 Outlander PHEVS a month (10-20 percent of the Outlander's total US monthly sales) would be, " a very good number." Inside EVs says that the Okazaki Plant where the Outlander PHEV is made, " is running at full swing." As Hybrid Cars points out, the Outlander PHEV is only the fourth plug-in car ever to sell 100,000 units. The others are the Nissan Leaf (roughly 218,000 sales worldwide), the Tesla Model S (120,000), and the Chevy Volt (110,000). The next likely candidate to cross this threshold is the Prius Plug In – it has around 75,000 sales – if we count the upcoming Prius Prime updates as the same vehicle. Related Video: