Sharp Hoping to Use i-MiEV Electric Vehicle at New LCD Plant

Sharp does not want to use gasoline-powered vehicles at the plant, which starts operations in October, he told reporters here. The plant stands on a 1.27-million-square-meter waterfront site, which will also host plants of many other companies. Katayama directly asked Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko to supply Sharp with the i-MiEV when they attended the day’s inaugural meeting of a panel set up by the Osaka prefectural government and the private sector for the promotion of electric vehicles. Mitsubishi Motors is set to release the eco-friendly vehicle in Japan next month. Mitsubishi Motors plans to sell 1,400 units of the i-MiEV in fiscal 2009 and has already received orders for almost all of them. But Masuko told reporters that the automaker will positively consider meeting the request from Sharp. (June 19, 2009)