World Premiere of the New State-of-the-art Mitsubishi Outlander

There has been much excitement in the showroom this week as Mitsubishi have announced that they will present the global debut of the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV at the 2012 Paris Motor Show at the end of this month.



A preview of what the Outlander PHEV may look like
when it is launched in 2013

The Outlander PHEV will be the world's first plug-in hybrid SUV when it launches (firstly in Japan) in 2013 and will offer something for everyone- the environmental performance of a full electric vehicle, the cruising range of a conventional internal engine and the on- and off- road performance of an SUV. It will incorporate the plug-in hybrid EV system used in Mitsubishi's 100% electric vehicle- the I-MiEV which, using a MIVEC variable valve timing system, employs electrical power stored in the drive battery by charging either at home, a charging system or when the system recovers energy when decelerating. A high capacity 12kWh lithium-drive battery ensures the PHEV is capable of a cruising range of over 55km in all-electric operation.



A diagram of the PHEVs internal systems



The PHEV is rather clever in that it will, depending on the driving conditions and remaining battery charge, automatically select the optimum drive mode for the task at hand:

• EV Drive Mode is an all-electric mode in which the front and rear motors drive the vehicle using energy solely from the drive battery- providing the driver with a quiet and eco-friendly performance, thanks to the zero on-road fuel consumption and zero C02 emissions.
• In Series-Drive Mode the engine operates as a generator- supplying electricity to the electric motors. The system utilises this mode either when the remaining battery charge falls below a pre-determined level or; when more powerful performance is required (such as climbing a steep gradient)
• Switching to Parallel Hybrid Mode ensures that the engine provides most of the power. This system kicks in when the engine operates at peak efficiency, allowing for higher-speed driving.

The Outlander PHEV is expected to be rolled out throughout Europe following its introduction in Japan in early 2013 and, although they are keeping details about exactly what the new Outlander will look like tightly under wraps (although we have included images of what Mitsubishi predict it may look like!), we will be sure to keep you updated on this- and any other extra details we get- as soon as we receive them.

ADDITION: As most people (including us!) will be unable to attend the Paris Motor Show, Mitsubishi have set up a live stream so you can watch from home on Thursday 27th September at 3.30pm. Simply follow this link: http://mitsubishi-media.co.uk/videos/