Outlander PHEV thread

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Its a good read and shows the car as an intermediate step as batteries evolve. One would hope that in a few years PHEVs will go the way of the dinosaur. If a car like the Bolt can be sold for $25k that might be the case.

My belief continues that it would sell well here in the US, but who knows when that will happen.

Reminds me of the conversation that I had with the Mark Mitsubishi service folks who informed me that the delays in bringing the car to the US were caused by the lack of manufacturing capacity for the batteries and as a result Mitsubishi built/bought(?) their own battery plant for the PHEV. I haven't seen anything to confirm this tho.

BTW, Honest John kinda reminds me of Robert Llewelyn.
 
Phximiev said:
Its a good read and shows the car as an intermediate step as batteries evolve. One would hope that in a few years PHEVs will go the way of the dinosaur. If a car like the Bolt can be sold for $25k that might be the case.

My belief continues that it would sell well here in the US, but who knows when that will happen.

Reminds me of the conversation that I had with the Mark Mitsubishi service folks who informed me that the delays in bringing the car to the US were caused by the lack of manufacturing capacity for the batteries and as a result Mitsubishi built/bought(?) their own battery plant for the PHEV. I haven't seen anything to confirm this tho.

BTW, Honest John kinda reminds me of Robert Llewelyn.

Well Robert Llewellyn is an actor who made his name in the BBC Red Dwarf Sci-Fi comedy in the late 80s-1990s (though they have made recent series too with him in - if you can find a stream in the US, its well worth watching, well ahead of its time, very funny and entertaining). You can see Llewellyn as the Robocop C3P0 hybrid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxWN8AhNER0

Llewellyn only got involved in EV and green energy after the 'Cabled' IMIEV trial in 2001/2010 when he had a MIEV for a year, though his delivery nice to watch. He also did a few other series on TV a few years back.

Honest John is a pure motoring journalist, fairly dry, to the point, but his audience is the middle-aged white collar non-techie. HJ makes a lot of recommendations to the new car lease cohort, and that's a totally different buyer to me, who tends to buy used. That said, he does have a useful 'real world MPG' section, and a list of real owner reports and faults - which is a good addition lacking in most other places.

The problem with motoring journalists is they can only ever review at the time around the launch, there can be no incorporation of future trends and policy, nor long term reliability - that's were JD Power et al come in, and I take those as more useful, as I tent to be interested in the cars made about 3-5 years ago, as that's the age I buy at.

Maybe you just liken the two due to the dry-ish British delivery, with lack of coloured-up BS, as is the tradition here.

Back to the O-PHEV, you can read on HJ that reports of real world MPG are not nearly as good as the claims (I made ref to that before, becasue people buy for tax breaks rather than based around the driving they do= classifications to government tests vs real world use). That said, I think another reason the O-PHEV hasn't made it to the States yes is pure sticker price. In Europe and Japan, the sticker prices are higher than the US market equivalent, so a sale in these places is simply more profitable than one in the US. In the US, you also get longer fuller warranties, (10 years compared to 3-7 here), so it boils down to simple economics: profit margain.

I remember an old period in time around 2007 when I spent a few weeks in California and there was $2= £1, and I saw cars like the Chrysler 300C on sale for $20k, which would be £10K at the time, and that would be ludicrously cheap compared to UK sticker prices, where that would correspond to about 60% of the base sticker price for a low spec Civic... again at the time.

Time has moved on, and the £ isn't nearly as strong - so weak £ to Yen could also be a factor to US introduction, if when I beleive the UK is the 3rd largest consumer of O-PHEVs globally. Though if you can write most of the cost of the car off against corporation tax (as you can, which is why its so popular), perhaps sticker price becomes less important for the corporate purchase, which is in the same sort of bracket as an Audi A6/ BMW 5 - but far more cost effective than those two old models for the 'executive businessman'.

If, like so many people in the South of England, you value driving an automatic 4x4 SUV around permanently to take your kids to school and get groceries, then it makes complete sense to have electric drive, as an ICE variant is a totally pointless way of moving from A to B in the suburban environment. Also - and this is a crucial point somewhere like where I live; space is expensive, population density is high, and it costs £14 a day to take a car in to central London (if you were stupid enough to do it, as parking charges are astronomical) - then you arrive at a place where more people elect to have one car than 2, so an all-capable PHEV starts to make a bit more sense rationally. If I could only have one car, it would be a PHEV. Luckily I have a driveway and garage, so the IMIEV makes the good 2nd car - my wifes car as I stated was a RAV 4, now is an Insight Gen 2 (which I am looking to sell as it's had problems sadly), but the new wife-mobile is a tough decision, and likely to be a small SUV, just so I have what the IMIEV doesnt when we need it - though im not particularly looking forward to swapping one car for another with half the fuel economy - especially when she will now only drive an auto.

I have thought about the O-PHEV, but the used prices are holding up far better than I predicted... which also surprised me.

Lastly, I was under the impression that the O-PHEV shared a fair amount of drive similarity with the IMIEV, but perhaps the similarity away from the battery is less than I thought.

If you saw this fully charged episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt0-JMh6aS8

... then I learned that the British company GKN was behind the E-transaxle in the Leaf, O-PHEV and a raft of other vehicles. So, perhaps the O-PHEV moves away from a lot of the IMIEV traditional drivetrain.
 
I don't know what kind of daily driving your wife does, but does the new electric Ioniq fit? It seems to be getting rave reviews on its forum and with its range may fit both the 'city' drivers as well as a good number of drivers taking longer highway trips. It also seems to be available in the UK. I haven't seen if HJ has done a review of it yet tho. Here's one person choosing the Ioniq over the PHEV: http://myioniq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=178&p=1130#p1130

My intent is to explore it here in Phoenix when it comes, which per the local dealer here is late 2017. With its range it would fit most of our vacation driving as there are more than enough quick/J1772 chargers along the routes we typically take.

Enjoyed the red dwarf video! (Seen the other on the 'Fully Charged' topic).
 
^ Well she works about 3 miles from home, and does a fair bit of kiddie moving. We have one child at the moment, and another likely in the next year or so. The Insight is a bit small to be fair - front passenger legroom is tight with a kid seat in the back, and the boot (trunk) isn't great once there is a pushchair in there.

On that premise, I think the Ioniq looks about the same size an Insight... so its not a great benefit. That takes me to what I call an Estate, but you may call it a tourer or station wagon; or a crossover or MPV/ people carrier, and it also has to be auto, and not diesel (as they are clobbering those with preventative taxation/ legislation now and in the next few years).

Being in London, I would prefer a higher and narrower vehicle to a wider or longer one, and there aren't many cars that fit well there, at least good autos. I am a well established Toyota and Honda buyer, as I have good reason to think that they make decent auto gearboxes - i'm definitely sticking to Japanese over European or US branded. The only non-Japanese brand I would consider nowadays is a Ford - but I have had 2 friends with S-Max auto gearbox failures, so I don't think I am going there. She also isn't the most careful person in the world (much to my frustration), so her cars tend to get peppered with small scratches/ car door dents, alloy wheel scuffs and so on. Hence, I'm going to get something a bit older but sturdy - and funnily enough the old RAV-4 she had was the only car that met her match, and didn't look like it had been dragged through a swamp backwards when she was done with it.

So my options seem to be focused around the following:

RAV-4 (good all round)
CR-V (also good all round, but I think the RAV pipps it)
RX400H (probably the best, but these are getting a bit old now)
Toyota Verso (though I think the auto option may be limited)
Honda FR-V maybe (like the car, but good ones are the same proce as a RAV-4, and they are pretty wide.
Prius + ( i'd like one of these, but the used prices are so strong its not worth it - Uber taxi too).
-Ive had the Leaf conversation, which would suit her perfectly, but she seems to be convinced that it isn't large enough.
- I've also had the O-PHEV conversation, but that's going to be twice the price, and I've got my cash in a load of building work at the moment on our house.

I've looked at the Quashki, Mitsubishi ASX, Vitara and Suzuiki S-cross and they are OK, but dull and average.

Ive also got my mother in laws old 2005 BMW X3 that's on offer, which I hate, as it's awful on fuel - but it benefits from pre-ruined condition (it is unfortunately a family trait of theirs - compared to me being completely anal about keeping things looking perfect and new), though it has a habit of going wrong in that BMW sort of way - and it also uses oil, which is not something I am accustomed to having always driven Japanese, so that unnerves me.

Remember in London, we have a terrible combination of very tight parking spaces, and morons that open their door on to yours, thus denting it... it's a life-ruining situation that.

Lastly, because the IMIEV now means I cant practically take a second car on a holiday if I needed the space, as I have in the past - I need a car that can shift 2 adults, 2 kids and a load of stuff in comfort, and - what was particularly useful with the RAV: the odd washing machine or dishwasher too when needed.

So, it's not been the easiest thing planning between size, cost, durability and economy. I certainly wouldnt want to go larger than a RAV-4 in London these days, it's just too busy now.... unlike all those years ago when I first started driving!
 
Phximiev said:
The question is whether it would fit the iMiev.

Well besides blind hope, Mitsu continues to produce the Outlander PHEV for the rest of the world and claims it'll eventually arrive here, with well over 100,000 produced that they'll have to support in many markets, including a lot of government fleets. If the LEV40 cells used in the Outlander become LEV80 in the same form factor, that'd make a nice i-MiEV upgrade with room in the case to spare. If a higher capacity cell is installed but restricted to only the original i-MiEV discharge spec by our firmware, it would outlast the originals by a wide margin.
 
jray3 said:
Outlander PHEV for the rest of the world and claims it'll eventually arrive here....
According to this, the PHEV can be ordered in both USA and Canada now -

http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3211

After contacting a half dozen dealers within about 6 hours driving time from me here in southwestern Colorado, I am happy to learn that the 2018 Outlander PHEV is now available for pre-order at many dealers, although not all are certified to service it. Dealers appear to have only small allocations at this point for possible delivery early in 2018, possibly in January. So far it appears that the MSRP is not available, but based on Canadian pre-order sites I would guess the base model will be $31-34K in USA dollars, plus be eligible for federal and state rebates/credits that could bring it down to the mid-20K range in some states. Colorado, for example, may provide $5K. We don't have specifications here yet either. I see that the Canadian model appears to have fast charging--I'm hoping that will be the case here too.
 
zzcoopej said:
jray3 said:
Outlander PHEV for the rest of the world and claims it'll eventually arrive here....
According to this, the PHEV can be ordered in both USA and Canada now -

http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3211

After contacting a half dozen dealers within about 6 hours driving time from me here in southwestern Colorado, I am happy to learn that the 2018 Outlander PHEV is now available for pre-order at many dealers, although not all are certified to service it. Dealers appear to have only small allocations at this point for possible delivery early in 2018, possibly in January. So far it appears that the MSRP is not available, but based on Canadian pre-order sites I would guess the base model will be $31-34K in USA dollars, plus be eligible for federal and state rebates/credits that could bring it down to the mid-20K range in some states. Colorado, for example, may provide $5K. We don't have specifications here yet either. I see that the Canadian model appears to have fast charging--I'm hoping that will be the case here too.

Had they lived up to their word and actually brought the PHEV to market in Phoenix (way back when), we would have considered one. But we bought the used Volt instead as a result. After having the Volt for several months now, we happen to think very highly of it. One of the key features is the battery cooling. The book says plug it in when its over 90 degrees and we did - every day all summer (and on and on! In fact, its on now). The cooling fan starts up and gives anyone with EV experience a high degree of confidence that the battery will be protected. Between the two, I would now recommend the Volt over the Mitsubishi. It certainly has more EV miles and the battery tech now appears to be outstanding.

We are looking forward to the decision in the future as other members are, Bolt or Model 3. On balancing reputations, we remember EV1, but now they have the Volt and Bolt. On the other hand, Mitsubishi has sullied their own reputation as is well documented in this forum. Their conduct was a great disappointment to us as I'm sure it was to many other members.

When will it arrive? I'm certain that I won't believe Mitsubishi until I actually see one at the dealer.
 
Finally got a test drive in today. My dealer managed to deliver four of them before New Years'.
Interior appointments and instrumentation are a generation beyond and level above the i-MiEV. Wind and tire noise is noticeably lesser, and the SIX selectable regen intensities via flappy paddles on the steering wheel or the gearshift lever should keep any fidgety driver satisfied.
The assistive features like lane keeping, blind spot warning, all seem quite good. The engine transitions were as smooth as a Prius, and anyone who's driven a CVT before will get used to the 'disconnected engine' sensation. Regen is quite strong and continues to a very slow speed, lower than the i-MiEV, but not quite a full stop.
The rear seats have a couple different folding options, including full flat, and the folding headrests are a welcome improvement.
I've lamented the loss of 7-passenger capacity, but from getting in a V-6 Outlander, I'll say that the third row is suited only for munchkins, and my 11 year-old is already a bit too tall to be comfortable back there.
All in all, a very fine ride. Mitsu has been way too conservative with the 1500 lb tow rating compared to 3500 lb for the V6, but leave it to the Aussies to prove full capability.
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.a...with-the-outlander-phev-an-owners-perspective
 
jray3 said:
...Mitsu has been way too conservative with the 1500 lb tow rating compared to 3500 lb for the V6...
Jay, thanks for the writeup, but sorry to hear about it's diminished towing capacity. The only reason I've kept my Isuzu Trooper is that the little four-banger with its compound-low 4WD gearing has effortlessly (but sometimes slowly) towed my trimaran over 30,000 miles up and down the West Coast and Lake Tahoe. Since the Outlander's frame should be able to take the load, I'm wondering if it has compound-low gearing or enough electric-motor assist to be able to, for example, crawl up a steep launching ramp pulling that tri? Since it's a CVT, I suspect not...

http://www.katiekat.net/Vehicles/PhotoLinkIzzyTelstar.html
 
Ditto on the gearing issue, and from the confusing stats I found on Joe's 8M Telstar, it appears that the boat weighs somewhere between 2800 and 3500 lb, plus trailer weight. A substantial load for mountaineering...
Here's a good snip from the Outlander PHEV forum. Looks good for climbing a slippery boat ramp.

This is an excerpt describing the Mitsibushi "4WD Lock" mode.

For driving in particularly challenging conditions, such as snow, the driver can select "4WD Lock" mode. In Lock mode, the system still apportions front and rear torque automatically, but enables greater power transfer to the rear wheels. For example, when accelerating on an upgrade, the coupling will transfer more torque to the rear wheels immediately, helping to ensure that all four wheels get traction. In contrast, an automatic on-demand part-time system would allow front wheel slippage before transferring power, which could hamper acceleration.

In dry conditions, 4WD Lock mode places priority on performance. More torque is directed to the rear wheels than in 4WD Auto mode to provide greater power off the line, better control when accelerating on snowy or loose surfaces, and enhanced stability at high speeds. Rear wheel torque transfer is increased by 50 percent over the amounts in 4WD Auto mode - meaning up to 60 percent of available torque is sent to the rear wheels under full-throttle acceleration on dry pavement. When in 4WD Lock mode, torque at the rear wheels is reduced by a smaller degree through corners than with 4WD Auto mode.
 
JoeS said:
jray3 said:
...Mitsu has been way too conservative with the 1500 lb tow rating compared to 3500 lb for the V6...
Jay, thanks for the writeup, but sorry to hear about it's diminished towing capacity. The only reason I've kept my Isuzu Trooper is that the little four-banger with its compound-low 4WD gearing has effortlessly (but sometimes slowly) towed my trimaran over 30,000 miles up and down the West Coast and Lake Tahoe. Since the Outlander's frame should be able to take the load, I'm wondering if it has compound-low gearing or enough electric-motor assist to be able to, for example, crawl up a steep launching ramp pulling that tri? Since it's a CVT, I suspect not...

http://www.katiekat.net/Vehicles/PhotoLinkIzzyTelstar.html


I would say so - where the Outlander ICE (if it is available with a manual transmission/ planetary auto) could be classed as a a 4x4/ proper SUV of sorts, anything with a CVT gearbox will be in crossover territory, and CVTs are inherently sub-optimal compared to other options at delivering torque. The towing capacity has to be limited to the weakest drive combination (CVT and motor only upon a depleted battery) - so the PHEV is a good people carrier (light tower) for majority suburban/ urban work, but if you are regularly doing long distances, the EV range is small, and once that is depleted, the motor delivers only average relative economy really (like any other 2.0 gasoline crossover).

That said, if you drive 40 or so miles a day, you could mostly drive pure EV, and it would be a smart buy.

I recently had to replace the CVT gearbox in our Gen 2 Insight (the Honda quote was about $15K, so I went with a used unit for a few % of that price), and that never towed anything and only had 45K miles on it - so for me, the main issue with the PHEV is not in the EV power-train, but rather my less than favorable opinion of CVTs in general, but certainly a CVT installed in a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Though I was unlucky, and the car was serviced by the book - the failure is extremely rare, but that will influence my opinions about out of warranty vehicles with CVTs now. CVTs are also very susceptible to oil degradation, so it's extremely important to keep on top of the oil replacement intervals, using only the approved manufacturers fluids - maybe even more often than advised by the manufacturer. That said there are Insights about with 300k plus miles, that have done huge amounts of highway work.

Also, the quality and feel of the drive in that 'disconnected' manner as described above is certainly true, and having had the Imiev for 2 years now, a Hybrid Insight and a manual ICE Accord, the best drive is certainly provided by the EV, the most driver satisfaction (if you enjoy driving) is provided by standard ICE, preferably manual, and hybrids (including plug-ins) with CVTs - I feel - are a questionable compromise - which is interesting, as my initial thoughts were that the best model would be an EV and a Hybrid, but actually I now lean towards a small EV and a manual ICE vehicle (i.e those with the most direct drive between the motor and the wheels).

Glad the PHEV has finally come to North America - it is clearly a very good option for those who's needs fit well with the package.
 
Took a test drive in the Outlander PHEV today and was suitably impressed. It certainly has its place. The sales person however did insist that the all electric range was 33 miles per this site: http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/new-cars/outlander/phev-faq/

The feds however show 22 miles of EPA range: https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=39830

What did impress me, similar to the iMiev, was the outstanding visibility. Additionally, other safety features, including the side and rear warning/cameras was impressive.

If we didn't already have the Volt, we would consider it.

Per the sales person, Mark Mitsubishi sold 4 from pre-orders leaving 2 in stock.
 
^ Re the PHEV fail:

If you live in a country that actually has a progressive taxation system to promote green vehicles, I would say his argument might be quite different. That PHEVs and BEVs get decent government grants, annual personal tax and annual business tax relief makes the PHEV pay for itself far far quicker than the Austrailian calculations would work in places like the UK. Add in the fact that fuel savings are greater where fuel is taxed more - more savings again, and lastly - the ever unpopular London congestion charge at £14 per day to drive into London is free for all plug in vehicles, and that means that in London as an example, you would cover the price difference in a very short period of time - and that explains why the PHEV sells so well in the UK - and it does... really really well. In fact, if you were the perfect utiliser of a PHEV, my guess is it could pay for itself completely in 5 years or so.

Though I can't but notice that 17/18 PHEV registrations are somewhat down, and Tesla's have become more popular I suspect - though again, that may be more of an observation.

That is also why the PHEV has been available in such markets since late 2013, and the UK has the third largest market for the PHEV, and I would hazard a guess that 80% of those sold would be in London and the surrounding suburban sprawl.

Indeed Mitsu are about to launch/ have just launched a more compact PHEV crossover called the Eclipse Cross (unlike the sports coupe that once bore the name). This is based on the GS platform, which includes similarities to other cars also built on it - namely the Outlander itself, Lancer, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot etc...

http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/new-cars/eclipse-cross/
 
All those tax breaks don't come free... congestion tax? Why so many people? Maybe if the UK leaves the Euro and the rest of the countries in Europe follow suit there wouldn't be a need forcing people to go electric through taxation. The current technology should not be forced on anyone. The battery technology is not there yet. Maybe with solid state? That's still a long way out... The tax incentives won't be around forever...in the end you will be paying more for a car. What's the long term plan? You won't own a car... only for the rich? In Canada we have tax incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle. But even with the rebate of $9555 in the province of Ontario on the outlander phev... $50651 for the cheapest phev all in which comes out to $41096 ...and $34831 all in price in canadian dollars for the cheapest awd gas version it does not make economic sense. It will cost $6265 more for the phev. Then there is the unknown of difference in insurance cost... and maintenance costs out of warranty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicles_in_the_United_Kingdom#Cost-effectiveness_of_carbon_reductions
 
I took the liberty of moving those posts to this thread, but can start a new topic... I preferred to leave the previous topic focused on the battery replacement issue.

Love the Aussies! He provides entertainment and doesn't mince words.

Bear in mind that Australian imported car prices are steep to begin with, and the Australian dollar is presently at around 80% of the US dollar.

I was curious what he had to say about EVs, but only found three dated links -

1) Totally disparaged the Australian CarSales car of the year awards -

https://autoexpert.com.au/posts/bad-cars-of-the-year

2) Negative recommendation regarding the BMW i3

https://autoexpert.com.au/posts/new-cars/qa/should-i-buy-a-bmw-i3

3) When I tried to find out what he thought of Electric Vehicles in general, this is about all I found:

https://autoexpert.com.au/owning-a-car/fuel/alternative-fuels

Quite a forceful individual - I'll let others comment...

Edit: I just watched his second video and his preoccupation with energy density is, uh, unnecessary. I found his negativity and berating attitude not to my liking, but I guess that's what attracts attention nowadays (politicians included). OTOH, he uses numbers to support his arguments, which I like (but can dispute).
 
obrother said:
All those tax breaks don't come free... congestion tax? Why so many people? Maybe if the UK leaves the Euro and the rest of the countries in Europe follow suit there wouldn't be a need forcing people to go electric through taxation.
I'm going to be generous and assume that you just skipped a few steps in writing down your argument, because what you wrote makes no sense whatsoever.

The tax incentives won't be around forever...in the end you will be paying more for a car.
Actually, no. Battery prices are steadily declining, and apart from the battery, BEVs are already simpler and thus cheaper to build than ICE cars. BEVs are projected to be cheaper than equivalent ICE models in absolute terms (without subsidies) within a few years. PHEVs are another story of course, more complex than either BEV or ICE, but they're still benefitting from cheaper batteries.
 
obrother said:
All those tax breaks don't come free... congestion tax? Why so many people? Maybe if the UK leaves the Euro and the rest of the countries in Europe follow suit there wouldn't be a need forcing people to go electric through taxation. The current technology should not be forced on anyone. The battery technology is not there yet. Maybe with solid state? That's still a long way out... The tax incentives won't be around forever...in the end you will be paying more for a car. What's the long term plan? You won't own a car... only for the rich? In Canada we have tax incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle. But even with the rebate of $9555 in the province of Ontario on the outlander phev... $50651 for the cheapest phev all in which comes out to $41096 ...and $34831 all in price in canadian dollars for the cheapest awd gas version it does not make economic sense. It will cost $6265 more for the phev. Then there is the unknown of difference in insurance cost... and maintenance costs out of warranty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicles_in_the_United_Kingdom#Cost-effectiveness_of_carbon_reductions

I do get your points, and many are valid.

1. Yes those tax breaks don't come free, but they are effectively paid for by drivers of high emission vehicles - who pay a little more tax to drive their gas guzzlers, so people who drive low/ zero emission vehicles pay less or almost nothing - so overall, Joe public tax payer pays nothing unless they elect to drive said guzzler - one could argue that is fair.

2. The UK will be leaving the EU (as I am told daily by the news), but this wont make any difference to green policies - they are already in an advanced state of development, and momentum has already been gained by popular approval. I don't necessarily agree with emissions based taxation, but I do agree that the air quality in London could be much better, and it is overwhelmingly attributed to the burning of fuel, especially diesel. So in urban areas, insofar as basic public health, I think that these policies are appropriate. In more rural areas, I am less convinced. As far as the congestion charge goes - London is built on 300 year old roads, narrow in many places, and cant accommodate the vehicles (why everyone has used the Tube since about 1870) - that, compared with broad EU diesel promotion over the last 20 years has created extremely poor air quality, so I favour clean air, and don't even have to pay a cent as my EV is exempt - double fair?

3. You do pay more for the car, you probably will for a long time yet, battery technology isn't there yet, but then again - ICE technology isn't there yet either... still bumbling around the 38% efficiency mark at best, not to mention that a gallon is burned for every pumped gallon in drilling, distillation, storage and transport costs - so the true figure is more like a 20-25% return.

4. I tend to think the long term plan will be that not only do you not own the car, but you don't drive it either. Though I would miss driving a lot, i would enjoy sleeping on the commute to work.

5. I agree that out of warranty maintenance is an issue, and I have mentioned in other replies that there needs to be a better solution for this for EVs - though ICE cars have likewise become increasingly difficult and costly to maintain as they age. No battery failures to worry about - granted.
 
Just saw this news: https://insideevs.com/mitsubishi-dealerships-u-s-request-outlander-phev-suvs/

Something to watch.
 
With barely one month of US Sales to report for the Outlander PHEV and dealers clamoring for more inventory, this seems like a perfect time for Mitsubishi to announce a new and improved version for Europe, with more battery, a torquier, more efficient engine, and an upgraded interior. Oh, and don't bother to mention whether the US will get the updated version, or continue to receive the version that debuted four years ago in Europe. At least this should bode well for purchase incentives in the US... :roll:
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...er-phev-updates-for-europe-to-debut-in-geneva
 
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