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Mitsubishi's Tokyo-bound PHEV concept doubles as a boom box

Mitsubishi will unveil a futuristic concept car at the biennial Tokyo Auto Show opening in October 2019 that doubles as a boom box. Billed as a small SUV, the model remains under wraps for the time being, but a dark teaser image provides insight into what we can expect. Power for the yet-unnamed concept comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain. At this point, we'd be surprised if Mitsubishi dared to unveil a concept that wasn't electrified to some degree. While full powertrain specifications are being kept secret, we know the design study features all-wheel drive, and it's capable of driving on electricity alone for relatively short distances – all of which sounds perfectly feasible for a company that sells the Outlander PHEV already.  Plug-in hybrid cars are often considerably heavier than comparable non-hybrid models because they gain a bulky battery pack, at least one electric motor, and yards of extra wiring. Mitsubishi promises its Tokyo-bound concept benefits from a downsized powertrain that's lighter than normal.  Evidently taken in a room with closed curtains, the teaser image shows a sloping greenhouse accented by what looks like a pair of speakers integrated into each roof pillar. Carbon fiber seemingly keeps weight in check, and part of the gasoline-electric powertrain is visible under a clear glass panel, which is a styling cue we'd normally expect to find on a supercar, not on a Mitsubishi SUV. All told, the Tokyo-bound concept looks like a forward-thinking display of the direction the Japanese firm's vehicle development teams will take in the coming years, not an accurate preview of an upcoming, production-bound model outdoors enthusiasts will be able to go off-roading in. We'll know for sure when the Tokyo show opens its doors on October 24.

The 100,000th EV sold in the US is... a Mitsubishi i-MiEV

The news here isn't that 100,000 EVs have been sold in the US, although that's quite the accomplishment. It's that the 100,000th car is a Mitsubishi i-MiEV - a car that takes nearly a full day to recharge on a standard outlet and can only travel about 62 miles per charge (according to the car's Monroney).
Jabs at the Mitsubishi aside, the fact that US dealers have moved 100,000 electric cars is made more impressive in that it's only been done since the latest generation of EVs arrived, typified by the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus Electric and aforementioned i-MiEV. Chronologically, that means roughly the last two years. It's a number that we can only expect to climb, as EVs gain a stronger foothold among manufacturers and consumers.
Plug In America, an EV advocacy group, crunched the numbers for a contest called #PIA100K, to find the lucky buyer, who would be given a ClipperCreek Level 2 charger (which takes the i-MiEV's recharge time down to just seven hours). The winner, Rich Salmon of Grand Bay, Alabama, picked up his i-MiEV from Pete Moore Mitsubishi.

Nissan's purchase of Mitsubishi is officially official

After the company's announcement in May, the Nissan's purchase of a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi is now official. The deal cost Nissan $2.3 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, and brings Mitsubishi into the Nissan-Renault Alliance. The company explained that this new partnership will manifest itself in shared vehicle platforms and technology, joint purchasing, and shared manufacturing. Nissan also said that this purchase will make the company one of the three largest companies by volume in the world. Nissan also emphasized that Mitsubishi will very much be a partner in the current alliance with Renault. In addition, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both Nissan and Renault, has been nominated to be the new chairman of the Mitsubishi board. With Ghosn at the head of the board, current Mitsubishi president and CEO, Osamu Masuko, will remain in his positions but Nissan's current chief competitive officer will join Masuko as co-chief executive officer at Mitsubishi. With these companies now working together, we'll probably start seeing more commonality between Nissan and Mitsubishi products here in the States. It would also be a great opportunity to get some of Mitsubishi's cooler products here. Perhaps Mitsubishi and Nissan will take our hint about the Delica. This article has been revised to clarify that Nissan Motors purchased the stake in Mitsubishi, not the Nissan-Renault Alliance, and to add the value of the purchase. Related Video: News Source: Nissan, Wall Street JournalImage Credit: Issei Kato / Reuters Mitsubishi Nissan Renault renault-nissan alliance