Mitsubishi has selected Hawaii as the first state to get the automaker's 100% electric vehicle, the "i" series.
Customers who purchase the vehicle will also get a $4,500 rebate thanks to the state's clean energy plan. In addition, customers are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, bringing the base price down to $16,000 if all of the rebates go through.
"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," said Estrella Seese, the acting energy program administrator at Hawaii's state energy office.
Mitsubishi plans to allow potential buyers the opportunity to test drive the i in the fall. The automaker expects to have the i available by November 2011 in Hawaii and other western states. By the end of 2012, the Mitsubishi i will be available nationwide.
According to a press release, the electric car has five doors and gets 66 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque.