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Next Outlander 4x4 goes plug-in

Mitsubishi Motors will roll out an Outlander plug-in hybrid at the upcoming 2012 Paris auto show - part of the automaker's "global and green" generation of new vehicles.

The car, Mitsubishi says, is neither "a mere adaptation of an existing internal combustion engined vehicle" nor "a dedicated plug-in hybrid technology showcase" but instead a "plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV, for short, heaven help us!) that share its architecture with the soon-to-be-introduced next Outlander’s conventional versions.

BATTERY-BASED

As such, it will be the first mainstream car from a major manufacturer envisaged from the outset with built-in provisions for either conventional or PHEV power trains.

The PHEV will be battery-based but have a supplementary petrol engine and, Mitsubishi says, will be the first permanent 4x4 electric car in series production. The drive train will be a combination of front electric motor + rear electric motor + front traction/generator petrol engine which will permit three driving modes:

Pure (Twin-motor 4WD EV)
Series (Twin-motor 4WD - EV supported by generator)
Parallel (Petrol engine supported by Twin-motor 4WD).

When fitted to the New Outlander, the Mitsubishi HHEV system will allow for a long-haul range and very low emissions similar to that of the Concept PX-MiEV II show car - a driving distance of more than 800km and a CO2 target below 50g/km.

The conventional New Outlander will start its commercial career in Europe towards the end of 2012, the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV some time in 2013.

Mitsubishi says it will announce further planned "reveals" at the Paris show in due course.
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