The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid has been unveiled at the Paris motor show. It is the first in a series of vehicles that the Japanese manufacturer is planning as part of a major electric and hybrid vehicle offensive over the next three years.
Mitsubishi refers to the Outlander PHEV as having 'no-compromise EV-specific architecture'.
It has three power sources - a 2.0-litre petrol engine, plus 60kW electric motors on the front and rear axles - and can run in three modes. As a pure EV, it has a maximum range of approximately 35 miles and a top speed of 75mph.
It can also run as a series hybrid, where the petrol engine kicks in to act as a generator, providing extra power to the electric motors and recharging the battery at the same time. This drive mode is used when battery power is low or when rapid acceleration is required.
The Outlander PHEV can also act as a parallel hybrid, where the petrol engine drives the front wheels with support from the twin electric motors.
As well as the variable drive modes, the Outlander PHEV can be switched between manually selectable 'Eco' and 'Normal' settings, with the former putting a great emphasis on fuel economy. The driver can also activate a 'Battery Charge Mode' which forces the engine to kick in to generate charge for the battery. The 4x4 also has a kinetic energy recovery system where the electric motors act as generators under braking.
The battery pack can be fully charged from an electric socket in four hours, or can be quick-charged in 30 minutes.
Mitsubishi claims the Outlander PHEV can offer a range of more than 540 miles in addition to CO2 emissions as low as 49g/km (depending on which drive mode is engaged) and fuel consumption of more than 172mpg.
Thanks to: Autocar
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