Mitsubishi PX-MiEV

Mitsubishi will officially unveil its near-production-ready plug-in hybrid PX-MiEV II crossover at this month's 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. The PX-MiEV II concept previews Mitsubishi's upcoming plug-in hybrid Outlander Sport.

For nearly two decades, automakers have had a keen awareness of America's infatuation with sport utility vehicles. And though the SUV market may never again reach the heights that it did during the early-2000s, the question for carmakers isn't so much whether Americans still want to drive the vehicles but whether they can be made practical in an era of energy uncertainty and rising fuel economy standards.

Last week we heard that Mitsubishi—in an effort to staunch a sales decline and move the company into the future—is completely revamping its product strategy to focus on global platforms and electrified vehicles. The plan ambitiously calls for the introduction of six new electric vehicles by 2015, plus an unknown number of hybrids, and will entail a 30% increase in Mitsubishi's global research and development budget. PluginCars.com reached out to Mitsubishi for their take on it and to get a bit more detail.