We already knew that the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car would go on sale in July 2009, but we didn’t know how much it would sell for. I, for one, would never have guessed that the price tag would be a whopping $45,660. There’s a lot of new tech packed into that teensy package.

Other high-tech electric cars are expected to reach the $40,000, including the anticipated Chevy Volt and the already announced Subaru Stella, which starts at $49,255, according to the New York Times’ Wheels blog.

What other cars cost about $50,000? Let’s take a look:

• 2010 Lexus RX Hybrid: $41,660
• Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec clean diesel: $48,600
• Volkswagen Touareg 2 TDI clean diesel: $42,800

But all of these, for their steps in a green direction, require fossil fuels in one form or another and emit CO2 to a greater or lesser degree. The i-MiEV will be all-electric and zero-emissions.

Image of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV by Kristen Hall-Geisler.