Not too long ago Gayu Eusegi, global product director for Mitsubishi, divulged that the trend of electric vehicle technology will become a priority that might just “kill” the EVO. Eusegi told Autocar Magazine that the current EVO X will be the last of its breed. “We must stop [production]”, said Eusegi.
The reasoning behind the EVO’s glooming doom is that Mitsubishi wants to shift the majority of its production into electric vehicle technology. They have used the New York International Auto Show as a way of showing off their latest ideas by further unveiling the fully electric i-MiEV and even giving it a MSRP: $27,990. After a Federal Tax Credit, the price could drop to $20,490 which means that this car will greatly undercut both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt.
As hopeful as this may sound, there is some sadness behind the news. Mitsubishi wants and is now actively trying to shift their focus to electric vehicles and in doing so; they might just loose their satety line: the Lancer Evolution. An argument can be made that the release of the EVO to the United States in 2003 saved Mitsubishi America from sinking deeper and deeper. What ever the future may hold for Mitsubishi, there is one thing that we will know for certain: if the EVO leaves, it will be missed.
