Green Car Journal, a trusted source for bringing environmentally conscious drivers the most up to date information, has recently announced their Top 5 finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year Award.  What does this mean for Mitsubishi?

The 2012 Mitsubishi ‘i’ is one of the five autos in the running, along with these other cars:  2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic CNG, 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI, and the 2012 Toyota Prius V.  What an exciting time for all of the makers of these autos to share in.  Those of us working at certain Bloomington, IL car dealers, namely O’Brien Mitsubishi of Normal, are pulling for the ‘i’ to come out on top!

How are the finalists chosen?

First off, you probably noticed that all are 2012 models.  One criteria is that the green cars chosen will be available by January 1st, 2012.  They are not autos we are currently seeing on the roadways right now, but will very soon.  They also consider these variables when making choices for the finalists, and ultimately the top winner:

• Vehicles that operate via many different methods: High efficiency gas, diesel, other gas-based fuel sources, and ones that are solely electric based, like the ‘i’.
• Marketability in terms of being new, offering advanced technology, and much more.

Who is making the choice?

 One of the cool things about the individuals making the green car of the year choice is that many of them have a lot of knowledge of the environment and what truly makes a car “green”.  For instance, the panel has the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council and the leader of Global Green USA, among several others.  It makes the decision much more credible when you have individuals who are very educated in the field.  One key member may not be the leader of a large environmental organization, but he sure knows his cars and will be able to make the panel fun, and that entertainer is Jay Leno! 

Those of us here who proudly sell the Springfield Mitsubishi Eclipse, as well as other fine new and preowned autos, will be rooting for the all-new ‘i’ to come out as top winner!

Back in February we brought some exciting information about a partnership between Mitsubishi motors and the state of Illinois.  This deal would allow for a large quantity of all-new ‘i’ models to be tested and driven around the streets of Bloomington-Normal. 

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You’ve been putting it off for as long as you can, but that time has come for you to shop for a new auto.  Maybe it’s been awhile and you aren’t sure where to start.  That’s okay, you are not alone.  There are many things to consider when making the choice to buy or lease a new auto.  We’d like to give you some things to think about to hopefully make your next purchase as stress free and enjoyable as possible.

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Mitsubishi has plenty to be happy about for 2011.  Overall, sales of vehicle models made by the automaker are very high.  Let’s find out exactly what this means for consumers and for those who sell these models.

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In light of Mitsubishi’s new plan to move ahead with more electric vehicles, both with the ‘i’ that’s right around the corner, and for future models they’ll be releasing in the upcoming months and years, the automaker is also moving ahead with plans to make charging stations for these types of cars accessible for the masses.

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