What Future Hybrids Could Mean for Mitsubishi

February 23rd, 2018 by

University Mitsubishi Future Hybrids

Now that Mitsubishi Motors is moving forward with their partnership with the Nissan-Renault Alliance, much of their future lineup seems to be slated into alternative fuel and self-driving autonomous vehicles. With hybrid SUVs and possibly electric vehicles, one wonders what will come from the Japanese automaker next.

Mitsubishi i-Miev

The Mitsubishi i-Miev is one of a kind for Mitsubishi Motors. Their first all-electric vehicle that was also the world’s first highway capable electric vehicle, the Mitsubishi i-Miev has been doing well overseas. It came to the North American branch for several years, but due to sales was discontinued in 2017.

Being an all-electric vehicle, the Mitsubishi i-Miev is powered by an electric motor and a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery. The electric motor generates a max output of 49 kW and a max torque of 144 lb-ft of torque, and has a max speed of 80 mph. The Mitsubishi i-Miev also has a total driving range of about 100 miles. Able to be charged in four ways, the i-Miev is possibly the most convenient electric vehicle on the market. Using one of three electrical outlets, consumers can charge the i-Miev between 6 – 10 hours. Quick charging only takes 30 minutes.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Possibly the best vehicle Mitsubishi Motors brought us from overseas in 2017, the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a plug-in SUV. Powered by a gasoline engine and an electric motor, its power and total driving range more than double that of the i-Miev. The gasoline portion of the plug-in hybrid system is a 2.0-liter MIVEC DOHC 4-cylinder engine. Optimized with Mitsubishi’s variable valve timing technology (MIVEC) and a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) design, this engine is able to generate up to 117 horsepower and 137 lb-ft of torque.

The electric portion of this plug-in hybrid is made up of a front and rear electric motor, each powered by a 12.0 kWh lithium-ion battery. The front and rear motors both generate 60 kW of power. The front motor generates 101 lb-ft of torque and the rear motor generates 143 lb-ft of torque. Combined, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV generates a total of 280 lb-ft of torque.

When it comes to riding around in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, consumers will get a combined fuel economy of 74 MPGe when using both, the electric motors and the internal combustion engine. If just using the gas engine, the fuel economy is set at 25 mpg combined.

The total range of the Outlander PHEV is set at 310 miles when using the electric motor and gas engine. If driving on the electric motors only, the Outlander has a driving range of 22 miles.

The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander also has four ways to recharge the onboard battery. If charging via a 120V outlet, the same for a home appliance, the charging time is expected to be 8-13 hours. If using an available 240V outlet, the charging time drops to 3.5 hours. CHAdeMO fast charging stations can charge the battery up to 80-percent in 25 minutes.

Mitsubishi CA-MiEV Concept

At the moment, not a whole lot is known about the Mitsubishi CA-MiEV Concept. Whether it’s marked as the replacement for the i-Miev after it was pulled from North America, given the “CA” for “Canada”, or whether this concept is a whole new electric vehicle based off of the i-Miev is unclear. Many are saying the new concept looks like an electric variation of the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback, and that wouldn’t really be all that bad. There has been discussion of Mitsubishi rebadging Nissan vehicles. Rebadging the Nissan Leaf would be a stretch, but the specs speak for themselves.

The CA-MiEV Concept can sit five passengers comfortably. Only an 80 kW motor has been named, so this being an all-electric vehicle is more likely than a plug-in hybrid variant. The only known technology thus far is a wireless charger. Capacities for the CA-MiEV Concept are similar to the Nissan Leaf, but again, direct competition doesn’t seem likely. Personally, we think a compact Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid would be perfect.

* What do you think? Should Mitsubishi make another plug-in hybrid like Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ? Let us know on University Mitsubishi social media . *

* Photo Source/Copyright: MitsubishiCars.com *

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