New car to electrify police ranks

The Kanagawa prefectural government will soon become the nation's first local authority to use an electric car for law enforcement when it deploys a new vehicle provided by Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

The two entities are jointly testing the mini patrol car, a Mitsubishi i MiEV, which will be used to track illegally parked vehicles.

The i MiEV is still in development, with a planned 2009 commercial release for the four-seater. The vehicle has a top speed of 130 kph and can travel 160 kilometers on one charge.(IHT/Asahi: July 11,2008)