Mitsubishi Motors North America has selected the state of Hawaii to be the first U.S. market to offer the Mitsubishi i electric vehicle, which will set a new benchmark for EV affordability when it goes on sale there this fall.

"We thank Mitsubishi Motors for choosing Hawaii to receive the new 'i' electric car," said Estrella Seese, the acting energy program administrator for the Hawaii State Energy Office. "Electric vehicles use a fraction of the fuel needed by traditional cars, so each EV on the road means we're reducing our dependence on imported oil and increasing our ability to reach Hawaii's goal of 70 percent clean energy within a generation."

The Mitsubishi i will showcase a starting MSRP of $27,990-thousands of dollars less than a Nissan LEAF-and that amount can be effectively reduced by $7,500 in federal tax credits (subject to availability of funding). Hawaii also is offering a $4,500 clean energy rebate that can be used toward the purchase of an i, so the net cost to consumers in that state could be as low as $15,990. Of course, despite its small cost, the i still delivers big-time efficiency-to all drivers.

Mitsubishi is targeting an all-electric, emissions-free driving range of 85 miles for the new i, which also will offer three different charging options. Using the same onboard household charger unit, the i can be recharged from a very low battery to completely full via a 120-volt power source (22.5 hours), a 240-volt power source (6 hours) or a DC quick-charger system (30 minutes for an 80 percent charge).

Mitsubishi dealers in California, Oregon and Washington will begin selling the i in November of 2011, shortly after their Hawaiian peers. The car is then slated to arrive in the Northeast beginning in March of 2012 and is expected to be available nationwide by the end of next year.