The electric-vehicle market is abuzz with news that Mitsubishi Motors will unveil a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of its next Outlander at the Paris Auto Show this fall. It will be the manufacturer's first PHEV.
The Japanese automaker, which launched the all-electric i MiEV earlier this year, indicated the new Outlander crossover will likely be available in North America next year.
There will be two versions of the Outlander - a conventional gasoline-powered model as well as the PHEV version.
What sets the new Outlander PHEV apart is that it will have two electric motors - one in the front and another at the rear of the vehicle. The gasoline engine remains at the front of the vehicle.
It will have three driving modes:
? All-electric - driven by
the two electric motors;
? Parallel hybrid - where
the electric motors assists the power output of the gas engine (like Toyota Prius and other hybrids); and
? Series hybrid - where
the vehicle runs mostly by the battery and the gas engine only acts as a generator, replenishing the battery for the electric engines (like the Chevrolet Volt).
Mitsubishi says the Outlander PHEV will have a range of approximately 800 kilometres and emit less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
The Outlander PHEV will be fitted with a fulltime all-wheel-drive system. When it arrives, it will go down in history as the first AWD system powered by an electric motor (in series production).
Sales are expected to start in Europe in 2013. The expectation is that it will make its way to the U.S. and Canada in the latter part of 2013 as a 2014 model.
The new Outlander concept (without the PHEV) was initially introduced at the Geneva Auto show. The conventionally powered next-generation Outlander is due in Europe late summer of this year, followed by launches in Asia and North America.
The Outlander PHEV will likely compete with the previously announced Ford C-MAX Energi and Volvo V60 plug-in hybrids.
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