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To deliver more power than the 160bhp* available in serial mode, the car speed (i.e. the equivalent engine revs) needs to be over 75mph/120kph. You can demonstrate this (on a straight, empty road!) by flooring it - the car will remain in serial mode up to this speed. To achieve the maximum...

My mistake, the signature is there, just in small grey print.

Direct mechanical drive is likely to be more efficient than an indirect electrical one, which involves extra stages with inevitable losses occurring at each. Anyway, if it wasn't more efficient, why would the Mitsubishi engineers have included it? It must surely carry some weight penalty.

I seem to have lost my 'signature' which gave the model details, but it's a 2016 'face lift' bought in Dec 2015. So still covered by the 5-year warranty.

Thanks Bloggsy, you may well be right. I don't hear the squeal when going over bumps and potholes (too plentiful on Bucks roads to be completely avoided) - though it could be masked by the general 'thump' they cause. Fingers crossed for the next service :)

I hear a slight squealing coming from behind me on corners (not fast enough for it to be the tyres :D ). I'll get it looked into at the next service in a month or so, but has anyone else experienced this? My (complete mechanical ignoramus) thought was disc brake binding or maybe a wheel...

greendwarf is correct in general terms - the insurance company underwriting such products will have made careful calculations to ensure they're charging more than the expected cost. But the deal I got on a service plan when I bought mine - a fixed price of £500 for the first 3 years services -...

Can't resist a bit of simple physics. 2t car, so weight is 20kN. Up a 15% grade that gives a force of 3kN. Power is force*speed, so 60kW = 3kN * 20m/s. And 20m/s is 72kph or 45mph. (I've ignored air and rolling resistance, so obviously a bit less than this.) My local hill is posted at 15%...

There are no buttons you push to select direct electric heat over indirect heat from the ICE - it's all under the control of the car's 'brain'. You ought to be able to find the manufacturer's spec for you specific model on the Internet. In the UK it's only the most basic models that lack the...

1. I've read that if it gets really cold (negative Fahrenheit temperatures), the ICE will start, but it doesn't get that cold in the UK, so I can't confirm. 2. The electric heater depends on the model, mine has one, but US model ranges are different (and mine's getting on for 5 years old).

The dealership where I bought my PHEV (in Oxford) changed over to Kia a few years ago. They still provide servicing.

European home chargers can deliver up to 8kW (32A 240V), and the PHEV can use 4kW (16A) - standard domestic sockets are generally restricted to 3kW (13A).

A 16A charger reduces the ~5 hrs needed to reach a 'full' battery from 'empty' down to ~3½ hrs. For me, this advantage is not enough to justify the cost of a charger, I just plug my PHEV into a traditional 13A socket. If your normal usage pattern is to drive the car during the day and recharge...

I made the 170 mile trip on 17th June, which was 2/3 days before the 91-day (if that's what it is) timer was due to expire. I wanted to see if it was possible the message wouldn't be triggered if a significant amount of fuel had been used, even though the tank hadn't been topped up. And I...

I can't see a way of doing so automatically, and I've better things to do than sit for hours watching a progress bar. :) Anyway, it's second order stuff, I'm already very happy with the money the car has saved me.

Except my short trips always involve returning via a mile of 15% grade (and going down doesn't allow me to do any charging if I've already got a full battery). My bad for choosing a house at the top of a hill. :) If you do the calculation properly (as I explained, my trip was 170 miles, and...

I live in a very hilly area - no mountains (this is England), but 15% grades for a mile or so every few miles - and my guessometer rarely shows a range much over 20 miles. I normally get about 2.5 miles/kWh (measured as the 'cost of charging' by the car) - for the last few months I've only been...

I finally got this message after 101 days (last filled up 19th March). I'd done a 170 mile round trip last week, so the tank was down to ¼ full, and a quick trip to the filling station to put 30 litres in removed the message (and the continual engine running). So the car must be basing its...

I don't tow, so feel free to disregard my 2p-worth :), but I don't think you'll go far wrong letting the car do its own thing. The only time you really need to use Charge mode is if you've got a severe climb ahead (we're talking Alpine passes, here), that you need to start with reasonably full...

I assume that you can go as long as you like, but until you've done the "Refuel 15l or more" the engine will run continually. I'm wondering how the car measures this - it can only measure fuel in the tank somewhat approximately, whereas it measures fuel consumed extremely precisely. Does it...