Although Japanese battery makers currently have plans to greatly expand their production capacity at home, it seems this still isn’t enough and America seems to be the destination of choice for some new manufacturing plants. One of the companies planning on creating some green-collar jobs in the U.S. is GS Yuasa Corp. Their president, Makoto Yoda said, “Named must your fear be before banish it you can. We have to choose our next factory’s location based on growth in the given market.” While not a household brand name for most Americans, GS Yuasa’s automotive partner, Mitsubishi, is sure to ring a bell. They are using lithium ion batteries from GS Yuasa in their all-electric i MiEV which is soon to be tested in California. Although they have not yet committed to selling this car stateside, this announcement is sure to raise hopes.

Another company with American battery factory plans is Toyota. Having already announced plans to build Priuses in Mississippi in 2010, the world’s biggest automaker believes manufacturing batteries here will help them achieve their cost reduction goals. Toyota has been able to reduce it’s per vehicle cost by 50 percent since its first-gen Prius and hopes to halve those costs again in their next-gen. Of the decision company vice chairman Kazuo Okamoto said, “It is very difficult to make the main parts of batteries outside Japan, but we have to have battery production in North America,” No time table for the plants were given but when they arrive we think they will help provide both employment and environmental wins for America.

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Mitsubishi will use the Moscow Auto Salon (August 26 – September 7) to perform the public debut of its new Pajero Sport. The SUV model that will carry various names depending on the market (Montero Sport in South America, Nativa in Latin America and Challenger in Australia) will not be sold in Central / Western Europe or in North America.

Based on a new ladder frame, the 2009 Pajero Sport will be powered by a choice of three engines: 2.5-liter and 3.2-liter diesel units and a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline unit. The new model will use Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD system, also used in the Pajero SUV, which transmits drive torque to all four wheels on all types of surfaces. Buyers can opt for a 5-passenger or a 7-passenger version, both of which feature water-repellent seats and a waterproof luggage compartment floor.

The new Pajero Sport will be available in selected regions such as Russia, the ASEAN area, the Middle East, Latin America and Oceania starting in the fall this year.

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What most of us know as the new Lancer Ralliart will be sold in Japan under the name Galant Fortis Ralliart. Essentially a toned down version of the Lancer EVO X, the Galant Fortis Ralliart is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivering 240Hp and 343 Nm (35.0 kgm) of maximum torque. The engine is matted to the EVO X’s dual clutch semi-automated SST transmission with different ratios for 5th and 6th gears to give improved fuel economy in high-speed cruising on longer trips. Finally, the Ralliart features a full-time 4WD driveline with Mitsubishi’s Active Center Differential (ACD). The Galant Fortis Ralliart goes on sale at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan today with a price tag of 2,982,000 Yen ($27,700). See photos after the jump Continued

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Previous G8 summits have seen talk about biofuels and GEM electric vehicles. This year, the EVs are getting a bit of an upgrade, with ten Mitsubishi i MiEV electric vehicles available for officials at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Japan in early July. Media representatives covering the conference will also be able to ride in the zero-emission jellybeans. MItsubishi said in a statement (after the jump) that it hopes “attendees of the G8 Summit will find a new appreciation for the superior practicality and environmental viability of electric vehicles.”

The Summit will cover a wide variety of topic, from environmental concerns to African development to the world economy. The Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda (also the G8 Summit chair), said that, “Global warming is a huge challenge, and humanity has no time to lose. The international community must urgently strengthen efforts to resolve this issue.” He hopes that a Japanese proposal called the Cool Earth Promotion Programme will pick up support in Hokkaido.

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A model poses with the Mitsubishi Concept cX , during the 2008 International Auto Show, from 24th of April to 04 of May, held in FIL - Nations Park, in Lisbon, 24 April 2008. EPA/MIGUEL A. LOPES

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Since Mitsubishi first introduced the i concept back in 2003 it has been the subject of much speculation. Would it come to America? Would it be sold in the U.K.? Is it even any good? And that’s just the gas version. The electric version, the i MiEV, has caused even more confabulation. Soon we will have our own opportunity to get up close and personal with these little machines when they make their North American debut at the New York International Auto show this coming week.

Hopefully, we’ll even get news from Mitsubishi about their plans for selling these cars in the U.S. I mean, they can’t just wave them under our noses and then whisk them away back to Japan. I think they’ve noticed that 42,000 people have put deposits down on a Smart ForTwo that gets the same mileage as the i but holds two fewer passengers for about the same price. I also think we’ll be paying close attention to what side of the car the steering wheel is on.

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