MADRID – Mitsubishi will debut its new Outlander plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle at the Paris auto show running from Sept. 29-Oct. 14.
The Japanese auto maker emphasizes the new cross/utility vehicle is neither an adaptation of the existing Outlander powered by an internal-combustion engine nor a concept showing various PHEV technologies. Instead, it shares the mechanical platform of the new Outlander range set for European launch in 2013.
The all-wheel-drive Outlander PHEV has two electric motors, one on each axle, and a gasoline-powered forward engine that can act as a generator, recharge the batteries or provide power for the front wheels.
It will have three different propulsion modes:
- All-electric, using only the two electric motors.
- Series, with the ICE generating power for the motors.
- Parallel, with the ICE providing most of the power with support from the motors.
Mitsubishi claims the Outlander PHEV will be the first mass-production plug-in with AWD. The vehicle’s combined gasoline/electric range will be about 500 miles (800 km) and carbon-dioxide emissions will be less than 50 g/km.
