Mitsubishi will only sell electric and hybrid vehicles until the mid-2030s

Mitsubishi plans for hybrid and battery-electric vehicles to account for all of the company’s new car sales by the middle of the next decade, bolstering its electrification strategy to remain competitive in key markets.

The Japanese automaker, which is also a junior partner in an alliance with France’s Renault and Nissan, has said it will launch 16 new models over the next five years.

The company has stuck to a previous target of having half of its new car sales electrified by fiscal 2030, and on Friday pledged to increase that further to 100% by fiscal 2035.

Mitsubishi considers plug-in hybrids, hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles to be electrified vehicles. Electrified vehicles accounted for about 7% of the company’s total new car sales in fiscal 2021.

“Among our existing models, we will expand the geographic areas where our flagship plug-in electric Outlander is being offered and increase sales of the light commercial Minicab-MiEV that was relaunched last year,” said Chief Executive Takao Kato.

Among the 16 new models Mitsubishi plans to launch, one will be a battery electric alliance model with Renault, while another will be an alliance model with Nissan, Mitsubishi said in presentation materials that were part of its sales plan. business for the 2023-2025 fiscal period.

The model could be a variant of the Renault MPV Scénic electric manufactured in France and expected in 2024, or a variant of the Renault R5 or R4 electric city cars, expected respectively in 2024 and 2025 and also manufactured in France, said a source close to the subject.

Of the other 14 models the automaker plans to launch, seven will be exclusively combustion engine powered, five will be hybrids and the remaining two will be battery electric, the company said.

Mitsubishi Europe declined to comment on the matter.