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Green Hero: Mitsubishi

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Author: | Updated: 24 Oct 2013 13:13

Japanese carmakers have been firmly at the forefront of the green car revolution. Toyota has dominated the headlines with the success of its hybrid cars, and particularly the Prius family; Nissan has i-miev londonenjoyed the spotlight with the LEAF electric car; and even Honda has had its share of the limelight with hybrids like the CR-Z and fuel cell models, such as the FCX-Clarity. However, there is one member of the Japanese automotive sector that has been just as influential and just as innovative as its counterparts: and yet has rarely gained the attention it has deserved.

However, this month we want to change that as we shine the spotlight on a true green hero: Mitsubishi.

Having been among the first to embrace battery electric cars with the production of the i-MiEV electric car (see ‘Mitsubishi i-MiEV named greenest car’), which was then remodelled as both the Citroen C-ZERO and Peugeot i0n, the company is once again leading the field, this time by breaking the mould for plug-in hybrid cars: in the form of its new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (see ‘Mitsubishi officially releases plug-in hybrid in Europe’).

What’s so special about the Outlander PHEV?

Plug-in hybrid cars are starting to emerge with increased frequency: but few take the mould of an already established vehicle; and even fewer boast the power and performance of a traditional crossover.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Silver

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV however, is not only just like its conventional fuel counterpart; but it boasts remarkably low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions at 1.9litres/100km and 44g/km, respectively, while promising to be highly competitive in terms of its pricing, as explained by Lance Bradley, managing director of Mitsubishi Motors UK, in an exclusive interview.

“The Outlander PHEV will be the first car that offers genuine customer benefits, in terms of both technology and, importantly, cost savings,” he said. “Nobody else has a car that will do that so, yes, we are excited about it.”Lance Bradley Managing Director Mitsubishi

So when will we see it in the UK?

The vehicle appears to be thrusting plug-in hybrids into the mainstream: and is enjoying such extensive success across the continent that its release in the UK has had to be delayed.

“We were hoping to get [the Outlander] PHEV at the end of this year, however, because of phenomenal success in Japan and Holland, where there was a specific tax break for people who registered a low emissions car before the end of this year (and Outlander was one of the few that qualified), there was huge demand,” continued Lance Bradley.

“More than 10,000 orders have been taken in Holland. In a typical year the Dutch distributor sells about 4,000 cars and they’ve taken 10,000 PHEV orders so the demand has been extraordinary. That has put back the launch of the car in other European markets but we are talking to the factory at the moment and we will have a full announcement at the dealer conference in March.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV front shot

“We will have a couple of cars with us in January that we can use for initial test drives, but a couple of cars isn’t really enough. We should be able to get all dealers their demos in the early part of next year and we will announce the full plan in March, so it’s coming, it’s close, it’s a little bit later than we hoped but for a good reason.”

But didn’t the Outlander PHEV have problems?

Production of the Outlander PHEV was indeed delayed in Japan after a dealer reported signs of melting on part of the drive battery pack prompting the vehicle to not start or charge fully, leading to a massive recall of 1.2million vehicles. In an additional case at the assembly factory, the vehicle’s battery pack caught fire while being used in the i-MiEV as part of its final inspection.

However, Mitsubishi embarked on a thorough investigation into the root cause of the problem; and confirmed that the same defects would not occur during driving because the impact on battery cells is comparatively small during driving when compared to the extensive screening process. Nevertheless, a series of preventative measures were undertaken and production was resumed in August (see ‘Mitsubishi resumes plug-in hybrid production’) with the company playing catch-up on around 18,000 orders.

An exciting month ahead

Though the Outlander PHEV may have finally reached European roads, the company isn’t resting on its laurels having lined up three exciting new concepts for the Tokyo Motor Show (see ‘Mitsubishi reveals three new concepts including plug-in hybrids’).

“The Tokyo Motor Show is interesting because it’s always been a show where the Japanese manufacturers in particular want to showcase what they are up to and with Mitsubishi showing a couple of concepts it’s sure to be a great show for us,” commented Lance Bradley.

Mitsubishi Concept AR

Alongside a next generation MPV called the Concept AR, which many are predicting will offer hints of the next Eclipse, and which will itself will boast a host of fuel saving technologies, will be the Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV, which will combine the drivability of an SUV with class-leading environmental performance. The automaker will also reveal the Concept XR-PHEV at the event: another Concept GC-PHEVnext generation plug-in hybrid SUV that is lightweight with a body style reminiscent of a sports coupe.

For this clear commitment to plug-in hybrid technology – indeed the company’s plan is for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to account for at least 20 per cent of sales by 2020 – we salute you, Mitsubishi.

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