mitsubishi

Hundreds of chemicals, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR), are used in automotive interiors. These chemicals are used to make plastics flexible, make fabrics fire-resistant, and contribute to that "new car smell." But they're also associated with birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.

To find out what chemicals and their amounts are used in cars, researchers at Ecology Center, which publishes the consumer awareness site Healthystuff.org, tested 11 components in more than 200 vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 model years using an x-ray fluorescence analyzer. The test scans a … Read more

How fast can you go up? Mitsubishi Electric recently unveiled technologies for new high-speed elevators that will climb at a vertiginous rate of roughly 40 mph when they enter service in China.

The elevators will be installed in the 632-meter (2,073-foot) Shanghai Tower, which is being erected in Shanghai's Pudong area.

Designed by U.S. architectural firm Gensler, the 128-story skyscraper will be the tallest structure in China when complete and second only in the world to Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

The elevators could travel as fast as 1,080 meters, or 3,543 feet, per minute--roughly 40.2 mph. … Read more

Facing a lack of coherency in its current model lineup, Mitsubishi promises to launch a new series of vehicles identifiable by a common design language, beginning with a new car at the 2012 International Motor Show in Geneva.

Mitsubishi's major recent launches were the Outlander Sport and the i Miev electric car, two models with very little in common. There have also been rumors that the company will discontinue the Lancer Evo, although Mitsubishi seems likely to keep the name but use a more economical engine.

So it is high time for a model shake-up, and Mitsubishi promises that … Read more

TOKYO--Mitsubishi is working on a green overhaul of its turbocharged all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution so the gas-guzzling sedan won't go extinct.

The new vision for the performance car is an electric-gasoline hybrid with in-wheel motors, Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko says.

Mitsubishi wants to preserve the brand equity it has established for performance cars and all-wheel-drive vehicles.

But the Evo needs to be in step with the company's effort to rebrand itself as a global leader in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

"I don't think it's a good idea to introduce the next generation of Lancer … Read more

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v, and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI are all finalists for 2012 Green Car of the Year, Green Car Journal announced today in a press release.

The winner will be announced during a press conference at a Los Angeles Auto Show press day on November 17. This marks the seventh consecutive year the award has been given out.

Green Car Journal editors considered dozens of models that were designed to reduce their environmental impact and be more energy-efficient. According to the press release, the cars … Read more

Drag Racing for Android puts you in the driver's seat of your favorite street racer. With more than 50 real cars to choose from, dozens of upgrades, and a nearly unlimited pool of opponents, don't be surprised to find yourself behind the wheel for hours at a time.

The game offers four racing modes to choose from. You can Race Offline against the computer, Quick Race one-on-one against an online opponent, join the Pro League against a group of online competitors, or race against Friends. Also, you can choose either quarter-mile or half-mile races, with the shorter distance … Read more

This is episode 21 of CNET Roadside Assistance for Thursday, the 14th of July 2011, the show were the Car Tech guys take a moment to field your questions and listen to your comments. We tackle a Skoda question, Antuan's love affair with a 1st Generation Miata, mounting your Droid X, and debate who likes the convertible Nissan Murano.

• LOLcars (photos)

OKAZAKI, Japan--Mitsubishi Motors Corp. aims to sell 2,000 units of its new i electric car in North America by April, the automaker's electric vehicle strategy leader says. The i arrives at North American retailers in November.

North American sales of the i, known in Japan and Europe as the i-MiEV, are then expected to rise to 20,000 units annually by the Japanese fiscal year ending in March 2016, says Yoshikazu Nakamura, senior executive officer of Mitsubishi's electric vehicle business office.

By then, Mitsubishi will have launched at least three electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles in the … Read more

How do you market a small, quirky electric vehicle on a shoestring budget?

For Mitsubishi Motors North America's i all-electric car, the answer is social media and digital marketing, the brand's U.S. marketing boss says.

Greg Adams, vice president of marketing and product planning, says more than half of the i's launch budget will be spent on social media and digital advertising. That compares with roughly 15 percent for the brand's overall marketing budget.

The Mitsubishi i will be available for retail sales in January.

Mitsubishi has a Facebook profile for the i, with interactive … Read more