Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Mitsubishi Motors Corp., joining a push to commercialize alternative-power cars, said it will deliver battery-powered minivehicles for tests by two California electric utilities this year.

Southern California Edison and PG&E Corp. will evaluate the i MiEV cars, which have lithium-ion batteries able to go as far as 100 miles (160 kilometers) on one charge, Mitsubishi said in a statement today. The cars will be shipped next quarter.

``We want to see how this very small Japanese vehicle works in the U.S.,'' David Patterson, senior manager for U.S. regulatory affairs at Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors, said in an interview. ``The car has been thoroughly tested in Japan, but driving conditions here are quite different.''

Mitsubishi Motors is aiming to be the first mass-producer of pollution-free electric cars as stricter rules on exhaust and rising fuel prices boost demand for new vehicle types. The company said Aug. 6 it will invest with Mitsubishi Corp. and battery maker GS Yuasa Corp. in a Japanese plant able to make enough lithium-ion batteries to supply 10,000 cars a year.

Tests in California will continue for three years, initially involving ``more than a handful and less than a dozen cars,'' Patterson said, without elaborating. The cars will sell for about $30,000 in Japan next year, after government subsidies, he said.

Modifications Needed

The vehicles, intended for short commutes and errands, may need modifications to comply with safety regulations before they can be sold in the U.S., Patterson said. He said some powertrain adjustments may also be needed.

The i MiEV can be fully recharged in as little as five hours using a 220-volt outlet, and has been tested in Japan for the past two years. The four-passenger vehicle uses a 330-volt lithium-ion pack and a 47-kilowatt motor, the company said.

Mitsubishi Motors is Japan's fifth-largest automaker

Honda Motor Co. last month began delivering hydrogen- powered Clarity fuel-cell cars to California customers, and Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's largest automaker and biggest seller of hybrids, aims to lease a plug-in version of its Prius in the U.S. in 2009.

Nissan Motor Co. has said it will lease electric cars in the U.S. from 2010, the same year General Motors Corp. plans to begin selling the rechargeable Volt hybrid.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles at aohnsman@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 7, 2008 16:58 EDT