Volvo Car Group (Volvo) is now ramping up production by 90 percent. It is doing so earlier than anticipated to keep up with the demand.

The increased demand, especially in Holland, Belgium and Italy, means that the Plug-in Hybrid production at Volvo Cars’ Torslanda plant in Sweden will be increased continuously from 150 to 282 units per week.

All in all, Volvo Cars will produce 7,600 plug-in hybrids in 2013 – and the 2014 target is 10,000 units.

“We are exceptionally pleased that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has received such a fantastic reception among consumers. However, I am not surprised. Our Plug-in Hybrid is a unique car, superior to all other hybrids on the market,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Group. “Since the Plug-in Hybrid has been integrated into the established production flow together with other car models, we have the flexibility to quickly adapt to the increasing demand.”

The driver of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid can select the driving mode wanted via three buttons on the dashboard that gives the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.

The default mode is hybrid.

By pressing the Pure button, the driver can cover up to 31.06 miles on pure electric power.

By pressing the Power button, the driver will use the combined capacity of the diesel engine and electric motor to create a veritable driving machine using the combined power of the gasoline engine (215 horsepower) and the electric motor (70 horsepower).

“This on-demand possibility to choose between different driving modes makes the V60 Plug-in Hybrid the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants minimum carbon dioxide emissions combined with maximum driving pleasure,” says Peter Mertens.

Volvo said the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the synthesis of close cooperation between Volvo Car Group and the Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall.

The two companies have financed the development project jointly.

The post Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid Production Increased appeared first on HybridCars.com.

As with every generation before it, customers expect the new S-Class to set standards across the board to retain its accolade as “the best automobile in the world”.

In its first year the new S-Class line-up features two hybrid versions, a gasoline model and a diesel variant: S 400 HYBRID, S 500, S 350 BlueTEC and S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID.

Mercedes said all models boast class-leading efficiency and up to 20 percent lower fuel consumption than the outgoing model series. All the engines already meet the requirements of the Euro-6 emissions standard.

In addition to this, the S 400 HYBRID and S 350 BlueTEC meet the strict criteria of efficiency class A, while the S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID even has an A+ rating.

“The new S-Class achieves consumption and emissions figures that only a few years ago seemed utopian, even for executive cars,” says Prof. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “And this is just the start of our ‘Green Leadership’ initiative: soon to be followed by the S 500 Plug-In HYBRID – the first S-Class with a fuel consumption lower than four liters per 100 kilometers (58.80 mpg).”

The S-Class line-up therefore includes the full range from gasoline and diesel models to gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrids for the first time.

The S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID is set to show the way aerodynamically with a cd figure of 0.23 thanks to additional aerodynamic optimization measures.

The first ever car without a single light bulb

100 years or so after the introduction of electric lighting in motor vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is now making a complete switch to LED technology – the new S-Class is the first vehicle in the world whose interior and exterior do without a single light bulb.

The lighting’s multi-level functionality is another world first: out of consideration for any road users behind, the intensity of the brake lights is reduced at night or while waiting at traffic lights. Almost 500 LEDs illuminate the road, the vehicle, the interior and the trunk.

Depending on equipment, these include:

•     Headlamps: each with up to 56 LEDs
•     Tail lights: each with up to 35 LEDs (plus 4 for the rear fog lamp)
•     Interior (including ambient lighting): approx. 300 LEDs

Visibility is enhanced by two assistance systems that have undergone some key improvements – Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus and Night View Assist Plus. Thanks to a new stereo camera and multistage radar sensors, the S-Class has 360-degree all-round vision and detects potential dangers on the road better.

The post New S-Class To Come In Many Hybrid Flavors, Including Plug-In appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Ford and the MyEnergi Lifestyle initiative have kicked off the MyEnergi Lifestyle retrofit contest with Katie Couric on her syndicated talk show “Katie.”

Homeowners can enter this national contest for a chance to win a package that includes a Ford C-Max Energi, new Whirlpool brand appliances, a SunPower solar power system and other home products designed to bring energy-efficient living to a typical American family.

The contest is now open and runs through June 9, with the grand prize winner to be announced this summer.

Through the MyEnergi Lifestyle initiative, Ford said it is bringing together leaders in the home appliance, renewable energy and power management industries – including Eaton, SunPower and Whirlpool. Additional featured companies are semiconductor provider Infineon and Nest Labs.

According to Ford, the group worked with researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology to create a computer model that calculates the electricity usage of a typical family in their home for one year, and the potential savings associated with moving to an energy-efficient lifestyle.

As Americans’ thirst for energy grows, the group of companies involved believes that recent advancements in technology make this the ideal time to demonstrate the benefits of optimizing a family’s energy footprint.

Along with 729 gallons of gasoline and 122,000 cubic feet of natural gas, the average home in America uses more than 11,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year; in 1930, the figure was 500 kilowatt-hours. That’s an increase of 2,100 percent.

Home appliances have made huge gains in reducing energy usage.

Today, the typical smart appliance, like a refrigerator, uses 70 percent less energy than one built in 1980.

“We’re very excited to offer the MyEnergi Lifestyle retrofit to our winning families and to put it to the test,” says Mike Tinskey, Ford global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure. “By combining a Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid vehicle, smart energy-efficient appliances and renewable energy generation, we hope to reduce the families’ energy consumption and save them money. Our computer models suggest we’re looking at a 60 percent reduction in energy costs and a 55 percent reduction in CO2 annually for these families through the retrofit.”

MyEnergi Lifestyle

MyEnergi Lifestyle shows how a typical American family can significantly reduce their electricity bills andCO2 footprint by integrating today’s plug-in vehicle technology, smart home appliances and solar energy.

MyEnergi Lifestyle works by leveraging technology so key energy-consuming devices in a home use less energy, while also shifting energy usage to less expensive periods. At night, for example, when energy costs are lower, a smart refrigerator can perform high-energy tasks like ice making or defrosting.

Along with the contest launch, during a special Mother’s Day show Friday, May 10, “Katie” also surprised a member of its studio audience with her own MyEnergi Lifestyle home retrofit.

Susan Berry, a substitute teacher from Ventura, Calif., was the lucky winner.

“Oh man, this is fantastic,” said Berry. “Now we can give our 15-year-old Ford pickup to my son, my husband can take my Ford Escape and I’ll have the C-Max Energi!”

Berry’s reaction to the surprise can be seen here: http://www.katiecouric.com/videos/katies-biggest-giveaway-ever/.

To enter the MyEnergi Lifestyle retrofit contest, applicants will need to submit an essay of 400 words or less explaining how adding solar power and switching to smart, energy-efficient appliances and a plug-in hybrid vehicle could benefit their family.

Ford said representatives of the MyEnergi Lifestyle initiative will serve as judges for the essays, and their determination of a family most deserving of the grand prize will help decide the winner.

More information on the contest, including eligibility rules and to enter for a chance to win, can be found here.

The grand prize package includes:

• 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi;
• Eaton solar inverter, solar-ready load center with home surge protection;
• Eaton electric vehicle supply equipment and generator;
• Five-kilowatt high-efficiency SunPower system that can produce about 8,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually;
• Nest learning thermostat;
• Powerhouse dynamic eMonitor for energy monitoring;
• Whirlpool brand smart dishwasher, smart washer and dryer combination, smart refrigerator, hybrid heat pump water heater and more.

The post MyEnergi Lifestyle Contest Offers Home Energy Makeover, Ford C-MAX Energi appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Among other highlights, the study reveals that increasingly widely available plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are sold with extra protection, which will likely be reassuring to prospective buyers.

CAA-Quebec is the Quebec arm of the Canadian Automobile Association, the Northern equivalent to the U.S. AAA.

“The manufacturer’s warranty is a huge factor in the decision to purchase one vehicle over another,” explains Pierre Beaudoin, CAA-Quebec’s Senior Director, Technical Services. “It’s important that consumers take the time to properly assess warranties, to understand what’s covered, for example, or learn what specific protections there are for the main components of the vehicle, or in the event of perforation due to rust.”

The CAA said it is reassuring to note that, as a rule, the same warranty conditions apply to PHEVs and PEVs as to gas-powered vehicles. Some components are even better protected: several PHEV and PEV models are sold in Canada with an 8-year / 160,000 kilometer (100,000 miles) warranty on key components of the so-called electric powertrain, including the battery pack, power cables, electric motor, electronic control module, charger, and more.

“It’s normal and above all reassuring that these manufacturers should offer extended coverage, given the fears that some consumers still have about the technology involved. So far, though, those fears have proved to be unfounded,” Mr. Beaudoin emphasizes.

Another aspect of note has to do with rust coverage.

One encouraging trend in recent years is that warranties against rust perforation are more generous among all manufacturers, and particularly in the case of Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo, which now offer 10- to 12-year unlimited-kilometer coverage.

The majority of automakers, however, still offer only 5- or 6-year warranties.

“The quality of materials used to build automobiles has considerably improved over the years, and today’s vehicles are better protected against rust. Plus, considering our harsh climate, the huge amounts of abrasives used on our roads in winter and the challenge of properly washing a car during the colder months, consumers are looking for good basic warranties in that area,” Mr. Beaudoin concludes.

CAA-Quebec’s 2013 Study of New Vehicle Warranties can be found through this link.

The post CAA 2013 study of new-vehicle warranties: Hybrids Get Extra Coverage appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The purpose of the event was to share ideas and develop new apps in the areas of electro-mobility and sustainability.

The winning app is designed to help electric-car users communicate quickly and simply with one another on an anonymous basis in order to use charging stations efficiently and minimize waiting times.

Eighty software developers and computer programmers participated in the two-day “hack event” held between April 27 and 29 in Mountain View, California, according to BMW.

The event’s main sponsors were the car-sharing service DriveNow and ChargePoint, as well as BMW.

Fifteen 15 apps for smartphones and mobile phones competed for first place in seven award categories.

A total of $3,000 in prize money was awarded to the most practical, creative apps.

BMW said that a widespread problem, currently, is the less-than-optimal utilization of electric-vehicle charging stations, which are often used by only one vehicle for an extended period of time.

A growing concern: electric vehicles may be parked at a charging station during an entire workday… While only needing a couple hours of charge.

The winning apps enable electric-car owners to communicate with one another in order to use charging stations more efficiently and maximize their utilization.

For example: One car is parked at a charging station; the other arrives at the station and needs ten minutes’ worth of electricity to reach its destination. The driver of the second vehicle can use the app on his or her mobile phone to contact the driver of the first car quickly and anonymously to request permission to charge the vehicle for a short time – naturally, with the assurance that the first car will be plugged in again afterwards.

The winning apps can be found through this link: https://www.hackerleague.org/hackathons/sustainability-hackathon-mv/wikipages/511eb98b9989c5b204000016 while blog posts related to the event can be accessed through these: http://tech.jeancarl.com/2013/04/29/bmw-sustainability-hackathon/ and http://www.transportationtechnologyventures.com/blog/?p=445 .

Meanwhile, Chargepoint has uploaded pictures of the event on its corporate Facebook page.

The post Sustainability Hackathon Results In New EV Apps appeared first on HybridCars.com.

This could be true if projections by LMC Automotive, a strategic partner of J.D. Power come to pass.

According to the forecast, 36 percent of an estimated 110 million passenger vehicles sold by then will be powered by something other than a pure gasoline engine.

Top on the list will be HEVs – gas-electric Hybrid Electric Vehicles – at 17.5 percent of the mix.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) like the Chevy Volt are estimated to round out 5 percent of the total, and alas, all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf are estimated to be 2.5 percent.

Does that mean Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn who’s estimated it at around 10 percent by 2020 and efforts now underway by maverick marketer Tesla Motors will fizzle some time between now and then?

Actually, no one knows, but this is what the latest educated guess pegs, and while it’s at it, LMC Automotive says worldwide diesels will comprise 10 percent and flex fuel vehicles which run on E85, or blends of ethanol mixtures will make up 6 percent.

So that accounts for around 36 percent, a little more than one-third of the passenger vehicles in 2025.

As for the 64 percent of remaining passenger vehicles sold in 2025 powered by gasoline, these too are expected to feel a squeeze. It’s projected that V8s – now still enjoying a heyday and presently outnumbering hybrids by number of units available and by sales volume – will be down to just 10 percent, said LMC Automotive.

More than half of the gas engines will be four-cylinders and conventional gas engines will also be utilizing all manner of efficiency aids including turbo-charging, direct injection, stop/start systems, and 8-, 9-, and 10-speed transmissions.

J.D. Powers via AutoGuide

The post By 2025 Alternative Powertrains To Comprise 36 Percent Of New Passenger Cars appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Nearly two million (1,951,243) of those hybrid vehicles have been sold in the United States, under the Toyota and Lexus brands.

In Canada, over 77,000 hybrids have been sold to date and Toyota Canada’s products accounted for more than 80 percent of Canada’s hybrid sales in 2012.

Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles make up 70 percent of the U.S. auto industry’s total hybrid sales, while they account for 16 percent of overall Toyota/Lexus sales, both globally and locally.

Total industry hybrid sales are roughly three percent of the U.S. car market.

Toyota said it estimates that its global fleet of nearly 20 hybrid vehicles has resulted in approximately 34 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions than those emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles. Many environmental experts believe CO2 emissions are a major cause of climate change occurring in the world today.

In addition, Toyota estimates its hybrids have saved their owners more than 3 billion gallons of gasoline compared to gasoline-only powered vehicles.

“With more than 50 hybrid vehicle models from various manufacturers available in the U.S. today, hybrids on the road are saving nearly 500 million gallons of petroleum annually in this country,” said Tony Markel, senior engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in Golden, Colo.

He recalled that DOE and NREL’s collaborative research with the auto industry, which started 20 years ago, spurred the development of hybrid-electric technology for the mainstream market to help reduce the country’s dependence on petroleum.

“With millions of hybrid vehicles on the road today, hybrid powertrains are mainstream market reality,” Markel concluded.

Toyota and Lexus sell a total of 19 hybrid models and one plug-in hybrid in 80 countries and regions around the world.  Twelve of the models are available in the United States, including seven from Toyota and five from Lexus.

They are Prius Liftback, Prius v, Prius c, Prius Plug-in, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h, ES 300h, GS 450h, LS 600h and RX 450h.

Of the 12 U.S. models, the Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid and RX 450h are manufactured in North America with a fourth model, the Highlander Hybrid, planned.

Between now and the end of 2015, Toyota will introduce 18 new hybrid models and expects global sales of its hybrids to be at least 1 million units a year in the same period.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A, Inc. forecasts that about one-third of those will be sold in the United States.

“The first Prius was a surprising success and we never imagined the market would become as vast as it has for the hybrid powertrain,” said Bob Carter, TMS senior vice president of automotive operations.

Toyota’s hybrid vehicle sales in the United States began in July 2000 with the first-generation Prius and it provided consumers excellent fuel economy and reduced emissions using a precursor to Toyota’s advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive System.

TMS said the high-technology nature and environmental benefits offered by this early Prius helped it appeal to a small but passionate following of early adopters.

The post 5 Million Toyota Hybrids Sold Worldwide appeared first on HybridCars.com.

At the same time, Chevrolet said that “their experience contributes to an out worldly total of 150 million electric-powered Volt driving miles – roughly the distance from Earth to Mars.”

Knowing this from the monitoring the company does of the performance and driving habits of Volt owners who have agreed to it, Chevrolet can say that the typical Volt owner who regularly charges the vehicle is going 900 miles between fill-ups of the gas tank feeding the gasoline engine that powers the Volt’s on-board generator.

Per Chevrolet, that avoids about $1,300 a year at the pump.

MPGe is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. The EPA uses it to compare the consumption of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles and other advanced technology vehicles with the fuel economy of conventional internal combustion vehicles expressed as miles per U.S. gallon of gasoline.

According to Chevrolet, some drivers are all but avoiding gasoline. The company released the following Volt owners statements to back this up:

“I have driven more than 23,500 miles in my Volt in 21 months, and have been to a gas station twice,” said Brent Waldrep of Auburn Hills, Mich. “The last time, was in August (2012), and I still have about 65 percent of that tank left. I go about 9,000-10,000 miles between fill ups.”

Chevrolet said Waldrep is atypical, but he is not alone.

“It’s been more than 5,000 miles and I’ve only filled up once not including the dealer fill,” said Larry Read of Canyon Lake, Texas.

Volt owner Paul Friday of San Jose, Calif.

Paul Friday of San Jose, Calif., says he gets about 7,000 miles between fill-ups and adds about three gallons of gas to his Volt every three months.

“We’ve seen and heard from our Volt owners that they are achieving fantastic performance numbers with their vehicle as many are beating the EPA label estimates,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet Volt marketing director. “Our Volt owners are showing the performance potential of driving electric, and having fun doing it.”

More results and comments from Volt owners can be found at www.facebook.com/chevroletvolt.

For the first 38 miles, the Volt can drive gas and tailpipe-emissions free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16.50-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range up to another 344 miles on a full tank.

The post Some Chevrolet Volt Owners Hardly Use Gas At All appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Porsche said this new gas-electric iteration will be named the Panamera S E-Hybrid, and will be the world’s first plug-in hybrid in the luxury class.

The second generation of the Panamera will celebrate its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show, which opens its doors on the 21^st of April 2013.

According to Porsche, the Panamera S E-Hybrid is a systematically advanced development of its parallel full hybrids with a more powerful electric motor, a higher-performance battery that supplies more energy and the ability to charge it externally from the electrical grid.

The electric drive system produces 95 horsepower (70 kilowatts), which is more than double the power of the previous model’s electric motor at 47 horsepower (34 kilowatt).

This electric motor draws its energy from a newly developed lithium-ion battery, which at 9.4 kilowatt-hour has over five times the 1.7 kilowatt-hour energy capacity of the previous battery, which was of nickel metal hydride technology.

When connected to an industrial outlet, Porsche said this new lithium-ion battery can be charged in around two-and-a-half hours via the integrated on-board charger and the standard Porsche Universal Charger (AC). The same battery can be charged in less than four hours when connected to a conventional household electrical outlet.

The Panamera S E-hybrid is capable of accelerating from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, an improvement of a half second when compared to the previous Panamera S Hybrid.

An electric boost function helps in instances where maximum acceleration is desired, when the electric motor works in tandem with the combustion engine during acceleration. Electric boost is also available when a kick-down switch in the throttle pedal is activated by the driver during acceleration.

The Panamera’s top track speed is said to be 167 mph.

In addition, the previous model’s NEDC fuel consumption of 7.1 l/100 kilometers (33.08 mpg) was reduced by 56 percent to 3.1 l/100 kilometers (75.63 mpg). Final U.S. EPA fuel economy ratings will be available closer to launch.

At the same time, Porsche said the Panamera’s all-electric driving performance was substantially improved with regard to electric acceleration, electric range, and electric top speed.

The electric driving range of the Panamera S E-Hybrid was determined to be 36 kilometers in NEDC-based testing. Driving range may vary in real operation, since air conditioning and heating are deactivated in NEDC test conditions, for example.

A realistic all-electric driving range in everyday operation would lie somewhere between 18 and 36 km, per Porsche.

The Panamera with the new hybrid drive can reach speeds of up to 84 mph (135 km/h) in all-electric operation.

The Panamera S E-Hybrid uses the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic, while the gas engine stays the same as the one found on the 2013 Panamera hybrid, a turbocharged V6 producing 333 horsepower.

The new generation of Panamera models will be launched in the U.S. and Canada in the fall; the Panamera S E-Hybrid will cost $99,000 in the U.S. and CDN$125,900 in Canada. [Edit (April 4): Porsche Canada corrected its press release and documentation. The Panamera S E-Hybrid will start in Canada at CDN$113,300.]

The post New Plug-in Hybrid For Second Gen Porsche Panamera appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The new Outlander PHEV blends, according to Mitsubishi, the best of the company’s EV technology (i-MiEV), sure-footed Super All-Wheel Control (derived from the esteemed S-AWC system found in the legendary Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution) and the capable, rugged and reliable Montero and Outlander SUV lineage into the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) SUV with all-wheel drive.

The vehicle relies on an EV-based architecture that utilizes a pair of advanced electric motors supplemented by a front-mounted 2.0-liter gasoline engine.

Both 60 kilowatt electric motors are placed at the front and rear of the vehicle; each motor drives its own axle independently for optimal front/rear torque split; these are linked to a12 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion Drive battery pack.

In pure electric vehicle (EV) driving mode, the range is estimated at 30 miles (Japan-spec Outlander PHEV).

The Outlander PHEV relies on three distinct driving modes:EV Drive Mode, Series Hybrid, or Parallel Hybrid.

The 4B11 2.0-liter inline-4 has been fitted with the Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system (MIVEC) to maximize power production, improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions by continuously varying the timing of the intake valves according to engine speed when it operates in Parallel Hybrid mode (the engine functions solely to generate electricity in Series Hybrid mode and is mainly used to provide motive force in Parallel Hybrid mode).

The Outlander PHEV’s exhaust note has been reduced and the engine compartment’s soundproofing has been increased in order for the vehicle to remain as quiet as possible when operating in pure EV Drive Mode (even when the engine is in use to charge the lithium-ion Drive battery pack).

Located on the left side of the Engine (positioned transaxle-style), the Front Motor is a smaller, lighter and higher output version of the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor used in the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

In Series/Parallel drive modes, the generator produces electricity from the engine and stores it in the lithium-ion Drive battery pack

The lithium-ion battery pack is located in a dust- and waterproof encasement positioned beneath the passenger compartment subfloor and between the front and rear axles (with no intrusion into the passenger compartment whatsoever). It consists of 80 cells configured in series, with a total voltage measuring 300V and a total storage capacity of 12 kilowatt-hour.

Placed beneath rear cargo area subfloor (does not intrude/diminish cargo area capacity above), the rear electric motor produces slightly more torque than the front one.

Both the front and rear transaxles each incorporate a simple single-speed fixed reduction gear. The front axle features a built-in clutch that switches the system to Parallel drive mode mainly for engine-powered travel at high speeds/steady-state cruise.

During deceleration (braking), the front and rear electric motors function as generators so that electricity can be generated and fed back into the lithium-ion battery pack.

Drive Modes

Because of its unique drivetrain that combines a front electric motor + rear electric motor + front-mounted gasoline-powered 2.0-liter engine + generator, the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV automatically selects one of three drivetrain modes for optimal performance and efficiency.

In EV drive mode (Twin Motor 4WD EV), the vehicle is driven in a very eco-friendly performance mode by the two electric motors, with energy being supplied exclusively by the lithium-ion Drive battery pack (100% electric-powered, zero-emission vehicle).

The Outlander will switch to series hybrid (Twin Motor 4WD EV with Internal Combustion Generator) when the energy level remaining in the lithium-ion Drive battery pack is low or when the need arises for a sudden and/or additional degree of acceleration, In this mode the two electric motors are powered by the battery pack and the gasoline-powered generator.

The vehicle can also switch to parallel hybrid mode(Gasoline-Powered Engine Supported by Twin Motor 4WD). In this drive mode, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV uses its full complement of available resources:

1) The 2.0-liter gasoline engine drives the front wheels; the front axle features a built-in clutch that switches the system to Parallel drive mode mainly for engine-powered travel at high speeds/steady-state cruise.

2) The two electric motors positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle operate seamlessly when additional power is required (such as driving uphill)

3) The gasoline-powered engine/generator – while operating the vehicle at sufficient speed – will feed any excess energy (electricity) back into the lithium-ion Drive battery pack

The Parallel Hybrid mode is, per Mitsubishi, most commonly utilized when the Outlander PHEV is being driven in a long-haul/high-speed steady-state cruise manner such as on the open road or interstate. This is the most efficient drivetrain mode under these types of driving circumstances.

Additionally, there are three driver selected modes:

ECO Mode

The Outlander PHEV features a driver-activated “ECO Mode” switch that reduces both fuel and electricity usage for increased efficiency simply with the touch of the button.

Battery Save Mode

In this driver-activated mode, the Outlander PHEV automatically conserves the energy within the lithium-ion Drive battery pack by operating the vehicle in hybrid mode (Note: Battery Save Mode will only operate once the lithium-ion Drive battery pack’s energy level falls below 90% full).

For example, engaging the Battery Save Mode would allow the vehicle to be driven in urban traffic with the engine/generator on to maintain a higher level of battery charge; it could then be deactivated, allowing the vehicle to be driven through a neighborhood silently at an appropriate speed in EV Drive Mode.

Battery Charge Mode

When activating the Battery Charge Mode – whether the vehicle is in motion or at a standstill – the engine will generate electricity to be fed into the lithium-ion Drive battery pack (essentially forcing the vehicle to operate in Series Hybrid mode)

For example, if the engine is idling and the vehicle is not moving, selecting the Battery Charge Mode will replenish a low energy level within the lithium-ion Drive battery pack back up to 80% fully charged in approximately 40 minutes.

The post Mitsubishi Reveals More Info On Its Outlander PHEV appeared first on HybridCars.com.