The Mitsubishi PHEV (plug in hybrid) claims an official combined fuel consumption figure of just 1.9 L/100 km. That will make it one of the most frugal vehicles for sale anywhere. That is less than half of the Toyota Prius fuel consumption, and much less than the Lexus RX450h or the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid SUVs.
I saw one of these last year here in Pattaya for the start of the Asian Cross Country Rally. Entered by a private team (“Two and Four Motor Sports”), backed by Mitsubishi Motors, the sole Outlander PHEV finished 17th overall with no failure: quite a success for what was essentially a standard car – including the Twin Motor 4WD plug-in hybrid electric drivetrain, as well as the Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system – the only modifications being the regular cross-country racing routine of upgraded shock absorbers and springs, roll cage, underfloor protection, exhaust and snorkel duct, etc.
Owners can plug the Outlander hybrid into mains power to charge up its batteries before a journey. Fully charged, it runs for around 50 kilometers on battery power alone – easily enough to account for the average drive into work or school.
The pair of electric motors with a combined 120 kW output use zero fuel for journeys around town, though its petrol motor will cut in when brisk acceleration or highway speeds are called for.
That 2.0 liter, four cylinder engine can be used to power the car on its own, or to charge up the batteries in a similar fashion to GM’s Volt which uses its petrol motor purely as a generator.
