A Japanese electric car is expected to go on sale in Australia as early as 2010. Its the the Mitsubishi i MiEV, and it will sell for as little as $20,000 USD (approx $30,000 AUD).

The egg-shaped four-seater electric car will go on sale in Japan later this year. But Mr Robert McEniry, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Australia, said  the chances are good that Aussie car dealers will see their first shipment of the i MiEV some time next year.

On February 12, Mitsubishi will import two i MiEV electric cars to Australia. One will go on display at the Melbourne motor show next month, and the other electric vehicle is for potential customers to test drive.

The i MiEV is expected to sell well to corporations and government departments who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and project a green image to the public.

“I think the public will go for them in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne. They are ideal for city commuting,” said Mr McEniry.

Unlike hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius or the hybrid Honda Civic, the little i MiEV has only an electric motor. It runs on electricity 100 per cent of the time. Hybrid cars normally use a gasoline engine plus an electric motor.

The i MiEV electric car doesn’t emit any carbon dioxide itself. However, much of Australia’s electricity is still generated by coal-fired power stations. McEniry says Mitsubishi is looking for green energy suppliers to be part of the project.

The Mitsubishi i MiEV has a 47kW electric motor and can be driven up to 160 kilometres before it needs recharging. The electric car recharges in  around eight hours at an ordinary power point, or in just 20 minutes at a dedicated high-voltage charger.

Mitsubishi examining recharging infrastructure for its electric vehicles and is in talks with two possible suppliers.

But Mitsubishi is not the only car manufacturer planning to  sell electric vehicles in Australia.

Holden plans to sell the Volt car by 2012. It’s a plug-in hybrid electric car that runs mostly on electricity.

Micro car maker Smart plans to sell a two-seater electric car in Australia. Toyota will consider selling the FT-EV here. Nissan iis pondering its EV car, and Mini is looking at its own E car.