In the context of automobiles, "green" has always referred to the amount of fuel a model consumes and thus how many or few CO² emissions it produces. Lovering Mitsubishi is a huge proponent of moving forward in the area of more efficiency and lower emissions, however, we recognize that fuel isn't the only automotive element that can be "greenified." So when we heard that Mitsubishi is in the processes of developing plant-based materials that can be used throughout the entirety of new Mitsubishi models, we were more than a bit ecstatic.

To discover the first area to get a green makeover, drivers need look no further than the floor. That's because Mitsubishi has already created a floor mat constructed from plant-based bio-polyethylene fiber. While the name may sound ultra-complex, the process of creating the fibers is relatively simple to explain. Engineers used sugarcane molasses to create a plant-based resin that was then turned into fibers which were then wrapped up in petroleum-based polypropylene sheaths. Ok, so maybe we're leaving out some of the technical details, but we trust that the Mitsubishi geniuses know what they're doing.

In addition to winning Mother Nature's seal of approval, the new floor mats are highly durable and well-suited to withstand abrasion and resist heat. Company officials say the plant-based mat production will begin by this coming summer. That means by mid- to late-2012 those in the Concord area should expect them to arrive on the Lovering Mitsubishi lot at 95 Manchester Street Concord, NH 03301.