Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi i MiEV The long-awaited New Zealand road show featuring the all-electric iMiEV is underway. Mitsubishi kicked off the trial with a gala event on Tuesday, where over 100 people from the government and other “key stakeholders” were invited to Zealandia, a 252-hectare wildlife preserve, to give the zero-emission jellybean a quick drive. The nice thing about Mitsubishi’s New Zealand test is that the juice is provided by local utility Meridian Energy , which produces all of its energy from 100 percent renewable power (called “carboNZero” and is made from hydroelectric and wind sources). Meridian has been pro-electric cars for years , and has its own Electric Vehicle Programme that is “tasked with researching EV technology and implementing strategies to help NZ unlock a more sustainable personal transportation future, using renewable electricity.” This is the first time an automaker and a utility have worked together in New Zealand on EVs. The iMiEV will launch in Japan this summer and is currently testing there and in the U.S. and Europe in addition to New Zealand. [Source: Mitsubishi] Continue reading iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Mitsubishi , Pacific Region iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand