Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. is to transform Normal, a city in Illinois into EVTown. Based on this experiment and with its all-new 100%  eco-friendly electric 2012 Mitsubishi i, the Japanese auto maker creates a new ad campaign.

Photo: Mitsubishi

Launched yesterday on TV and online, the campaign positions the 2012 Mitsubishi i as the ‘Most Likable Car On The Planet’ and showcases Mitsubishi’s efforts to turn Normal, into the electric vehicle capital of the USA by bringing here up to 1,000 100% electric Mitsubishi i’s so this place to have more i’s with innovative MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) technology than anywhere else in the country. Mitsubishi’s aim is to install a safe, convenient and high-tech EV charging infrastructure (a full 30 ultra-fast Level 3 quick charge ‘refueling’ stations).

The video spot created by 180LA bears rustic charm showing Normal’s citizens talking about their i cars and demonstrates the city as a model electric vehicle (EV) community. EVTown is being driven by a coalition of business officials (including Mitsubishi Motors), government representatives and other interested stakeholders who believe electric vehicles offer only benefits to the community.

«Normal EVTown is a community that is embracing new technology in an environmentally sound way,» says Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal, Illinois, who came up with the idea after visiting Mitsubishi Motors executives. «It is a way of imagining the future and Normal is that future.»

Mitsubishi has also launched a ‘Mitsubishi i 100% Electric Experience’ tour to demonstrate consumers the company’s 100% electric-powered 2012 Mitsubishi i. Tour stops include: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Carmel, Monterey, San Francisco, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, San Diego, California. The complete dates and places are to be found on Facebook.

Consumers will be able to test drive the electric vehicle from October through November. It kicked off on the green carpet at Portland Fashion Week on October 6, followed by a visit to the popular Burien Brot Trot in Seattle on October 9.

In August, two other technology giants GM and LG teamed up to develop new electric vehicles.