Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced that Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co., Ltd. (MMTh), MMC's subsidiary in Thailand has agreed to start joint testing of the i-MiEV new-generation electric vehicle (EV) with PTT Public Company Limited (PTT) the largest energy company in Thailand.
Following the agreement between the government of Thailand and MMC for a joint study of fleet EV testing that was concluded on December 2010, MMTh has started specific testing with two power companies; Metropolitan Electricity Authority and PEA ENCOM. With this new agreement with PTT, MMC will intensify its efforts towards popularization of EVs in Thailand, such as researching its' consumer acceptability, marketability, as well as charging infrastructure.
PTT is a natural gas and petroleum company working towards a stable supply of energy for Thailand under the Thai government's national energy security policy. PTT plans to install a quick charger at the PTT Research and Technology Institute by the end of this year, so both PTT and MMTh will actively cooperate in the research and the development of EV charging infrastructure.
After its launch in Japan, the i-MiEV has been sequentially rolled out internationally to Hong Kong, Australia, Europe, and other markets, and is planned for rollout in the United States and Canada this fall. In addition, MMC is in cooperation with numerous governments in their EV popularization initiatives, including the Principality of Monaco, Iceland, Denmark, and Singapore.