Photo: Mitsubishi
The 2012 Paris Motor Show is the venue where Mitsubishi will present the new Outlander PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). The manufacturer prides itself on the fact that the Outlander PHEV is the first vehicle of its kind, in the world, giving it "the environmental performance of an electric vehicle (EV), the cruising range of a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, and the on- and off-road performance of an SUV".
It is powered by a 2.0-liter petrol engine which is aided by two electric motors which draw their juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Most of the components from the electric drivetrain are based on those used on Mitsubishi’s all-electric offering, the i-MiEV. The battery pack gives it an EV-only range of around 55 km (34 miles), and when the batteries run out of electricity, the petrol engine kicks in to start recharging them.
The Outlander PHEV also has a ‘Parallel Hybrid Mode’ which uses both the petrol engine and the electric motors to propel the vehicle - this mode is recommended for high-speed driving. With a targeted fuel economy figure of 1.64 l/100 km (143.5 US mpg / 172 UK mpg) with the use of the battery, it all sounds like a very efficient - it also has a reported range of 880 km (547 miles).
Mitsubishi says: "In addition to decreased friction loss Twin Motor 4WD delivers better response and finer control than conventional mechanical systems. It accomplishes this without a propeller shaft or other mechanical components seen in conventional mechanical systems. The Twin Motor 4WD system is integrated with Mitsubishi's well-proven S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) integrated vehicle dynamics control system to deliver high levels of stability and all-terrain performance and ensure the vehicle behaves just as the driver intends it to."
The Outlander PHEV also has a ‘Parallel Hybrid Mode’ which uses both the petrol engine and the electric motors to propel the vehicle - this mode is recommended for high-speed driving. With a targeted fuel economy figure of 1.64 l/100 km (143.5 US mpg / 172 UK mpg) with the use of the battery, it all sounds like a very efficient - it also has a reported range of 880 km (547 miles).
Mitsubishi says: "In addition to decreased friction loss Twin Motor 4WD delivers better response and finer control than conventional mechanical systems. It accomplishes this without a propeller shaft or other mechanical components seen in conventional mechanical systems. The Twin Motor 4WD system is integrated with Mitsubishi's well-proven S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) integrated vehicle dynamics control system to deliver high levels of stability and all-terrain performance and ensure the vehicle behaves just as the driver intends it to."
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