Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. (MMNA) has announced it will loan two of its zero-emission i-MiEV’s to the State of California for evaluation in their test fleet.

The move comes as the Governor’s office and the Department of General Services both expressed interest in the inclusion of electric vehicles (EV), such as the i-MiEV, into the State’s support vehicle fleet.

Governor Schwarzenegger sat in the i-MiEV at an event this week and later spoke to a panel of reporters about the battery electric vehicle being representative of the technology necessary to tackle the sustainable transportation challenges facing the State of California.

Mitsubishi says that lawmakers and officials will have these vehicles available for extended test-drives to learn the nuances of driving an EV and experience the recharging process.

The State of California will be evaluating production model RHD Japanese Domestic Market versions of the i-MiEV. Mitsubishi Motors plans to introduce an EV for US consumers in 2011.

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