Kiwi buzzing with first electric i-MiEV purchase

9 August 2011

Kiwi buzzing with first electric i-MiEV purchase

Auckland electrical contractor Mark Hutt has waited 20 years for the opportunity to buy an electric car. His dream came true last week when he became the first private owner of a Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

Last month Mitsubishi Motors became the first automotive distributer to bring a mass-produced fully electric car to New Zealanders.

"It was worth the 20-year wait," said Mr Hutt. "I've decided to take the lead and just get on with it!"

The 'Clear Blue' coloured i-MiEV is registered to Mr Hutt's North Shore business Shire Electrical and his wife Mhorag is the primary driver.

"We fell in love with the car within five minutes of Matthew Wales showing it to us in the Andrew Simms showroom in Newmarket," said Mr Hutt. "We could see it saving us a lot of money and conserving our cash going into the future."

MMNZ head of sales and marketing strategy Daniel Cook says free servicing and low running costs represent an affordable way to drive the country's most environmentally friendly vehicle.

"Already buyers like Mr and Mrs Hutt are reaping the rewards of owning this extraordinary car. As a company, we are very excited to provide i-MiEV to New Zealanders and watch this segment grow," said Mr Cook.

"The first shipment of i-MiEVs are on the ground at six dealerships around the country and since they arrived, we have been inundated with enquiries for them."

The four-seat Mitsubishi i-MiEV has a range of up to 150 km per charge and is designed for urban commuters, who, on average, travel 32 km/day. A full recharge, from a standard 15 amp wall socket, takes approximately seven hours and costs about $5.

The i-MiEV is on sale for $59,990 including three years free servicing and installation of one 15 amp socket in the home garage for charging.

i-MiEV authorised Mitsubishi Motors dealers:

Auckland Motors - Auckland, Manakau Andrew Simms Mitsubishi - Auckland, Newmarket Simon Lucas Mitsubishi - Auckland, Northshore Ingham Mitsubishi - Hamilton Armstrong Mitsubishi - Wellington Donnithorne Simms - Christchurch

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