The North American reveal of Mitsubishi's iMiev electric vehicle came with an interesting piece of news: Best Buy's Geek Squad will snag four iMievs for use as fleet vehicles in the near future. What else is afoot?
Picking up four iMievs is an interesting play for Best Buy, and it raises a handful of questions. Is Mitsubishi using the electronics retail giant as a jumping-off point for a nationwide electric-car charging infrastructure? Is this a one-time deal, or the start of something bigger? And how will Mitsu capitalize on the disposable income of Best Buy's notoriously gadget-friendly customer base?
While the possibilties are endless, the likely answers are not. Chances are good that the partnership benefits both equally; Best Buy gets an in — assuming it wants one — to the possible sale and installation of charging technology, and Mitsubishi gets its most diminutive product in the eyes of tech-oriented American consumers at relatively little cost. More details are likely after the turn of the year.