We've met the brand new E-cars for America, the  Coda (made in China) and the Parisian Smera, currently only sold in Paris.   It would be rude to leave out the 3rd global sister in Automotive Electricity, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.  Or if you are a close friend or  family you can call her, i-Mi.

This cute little EV will debut in Japan this year as lease vehicles and private buyers can get theirs in 2010.   They will release other right sided steering wheel varieties to the UK with plans to do a left sided wheel at some point.

The battery and power of i-Mi is similar to the Coda, but it has way more pep.  Not only that, but they say it will be mass produced which seems like a good idea. 

If the photo is an indication of the colors they expect to have available for consumers, Lulu and Phoebe will be wanting one.  But alas, they will have to save all of their modeling fees to pay for this one.  The i-Mi debuts at $47,000 for the base model.   

The other smart feature on the i-Mi is that is comes with two plugs, one domestic, as in the household plug, and the other  for the official roadside plug in stations.   The good news is that 30 minutes would be all you need to charge it up to 80% at the roadside plug in stations.   Makes sense if you are out running errands and you find that someone needs some juice and it isn't you.

And just in case you thought this one was not quite right for you yet, take a look at the Sport Air.  Mitsubishi has plans with Peugeot Citroen to make a large number of vehicles for them in 2011.   Perhaps the Sport Air?  Or at least an i-Mi that looks a little bit French?  

Doesn't anyone want to mass produce these for the United States?  Oh wait.  We have GM, or excuse me, the Government GM making the Chevy Volt which they say is unaffected by the bankruptcy.   The key phrase is that they are "in product development".   Perhaps they could contract with Mitsubishi and Smera and bring us a useful and fun EV sometime before Smera's 10th anniversary and my 95th birthday?