Any queries or suggestions of Mitsubishi Japan's engineers?

[Trex]

Hi folks,

In my dealings with Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (been communicating with them for about a year) I have now access to people that deal directly with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan where the engineers that designed and build the PHEV reside. The emails I am getting from MMAL ( marked private and confidential BTW ) are getting very technical in description as time goes on in my communications. I think that it has helped because of my engineering background and my research that I have asked some of the right questions. I have not gone into my dealings with MMAL with guns blazing or threatening them but with a attitude of we have a problem so lets try to fix it.

Now IMHO this can give us PHEV owners a unique opportunity to get something done that may improve the PHEV ie added features we would like or just get some answers to some questions that are on our minds.

Now as the PHEV is very much software controlled it is IMHO reasonable easy to make changes for the better. That is one of the reasons that I started transferring machines I build over to a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) based motion control since the mid 1980s.

So onto the topic, let us try to get a list together of features or suggestions that we would like that can be changed through software programming. Or just get some answers.

Now because I have been dealing with them so far on the drive battery some of the suggestions or questions I have are drive battery related ie asking for better control of charging like stopping the charge at a user required amount, low cost exchange of batteries, can we use the reserve at the bottom of our drive battery (through software changes) as our battery degrades, user controlled BMU recalibration etc.

But this does not just have to be about the drive battery. It could be something else we would like that can be changed fairly easily through software.

So over to you fellow PHEVers.

Is there anything you want me to ask (suggest) of them?

Now you should remember that I am still only dealing with the "middle men or women". I would love to be dealing direct with the engineers in Japan so there will be a delay from when I have asked a question to getting a response. I could imagine even translators are involved. But it is all I can do at the moment.

BTW if I ever met a PHEV engineer I would give him a big thumbs up or big long and deep bow before I talked to him (probably through a translator). I think some here do not like Mitsubishi or the PHEV or both but as design engineer I know what they have to go through to bring a product on the market. Hell one machine I designed near killed me. Took years out my life of working practically 7 days a week and put me in hospital near the end of its development with Pneumonia IMO. :roll: I have since not pushed myself quite so hard.

Please remember, software not hardware changes for the moment plus I think they would have to be not just something one person wants ie something quite a few of us want.

Disclaimer. I am not promising anything ie that I can solve your issues etc. Some changes we want may have unconsidered consequences that we have not even thought about plus MMAL are definitely more guarded with me now than my previous dealings with them probably because of the youtube "celebrity", and his mates over here, pressure on them. I am trying to calm them down in their communications with me and they are still being helpful but it is time consuming. But I will give it my best shot.

Or you could try and do this yourselves ie go to your dealer, importer and work with them. I am just making an offer, suggestion that can be refused.

Regards Trex.

 

[Sumpy]

I think making some of the buttons "sticky" would be a good place to begin with, and how about a volume control for some of the beeps and bongs?
You've got me thinking now(I can definitely smell something burning!) I have a MY14 and it never shows the MPG above 99, so being able to see the reading above that would be nice.
Those should all be quite easy to do as a software upgrade.
Something that I still miss and would like is a rev counter for the ICE, as a display on the screen in the centre of the binnacle between the power and the speedo gauges, my reason for this is to know exactly when the ICE is running or not, or at least have the MMCS and smaller screen show when the ICE is in use in real time as opposed to sometimes showing when it is running.

I agree with you Trex about applauding the engineers at Mitsubishi and the great job they have done with the PHEV, but sadly just like all car manufacturers they have to work alongside accountants and the PR department :shock:

 

[mellobob]

My current pet peeve is the awful connectivity between the PHEV and any wifi. I'm sure there is only a software problem that prevents the car from connecting with my local wifi network. And, if that is possible, perhaps some more options in the app?

 

[Trex]

Ok I just have a minute but will start off a list with questions and suggestions what I am asking of them and we can add to it:

1. Better control of charging like stopping the charge at a user required amount.
2. Will they have a lower cost exchange of drive batteries?
3. Can we use the reserve at the bottom of our drive battery (through software changes) as our battery degrades? Or will this accelerate the degradation to much.?
4. User controlled BMU recalibration ? This I would love but may be considered bad for the battery if used too much.
5. Can we lower the threshold the A/C kicks in for cooling the battery.
6. Remembering the state of the buttons "sticky" seems popular. Should be possible in software if they have the right ICs on board to store the states when PHEV powered down.

Got to go.

 

[VillageIdiotDan]

Great idea Trex, I am bowing as I say thanks!! .

+1 for sticky buttons. Specifically I mean I turn the car on, navigate to the page that shows the car image and battery. I turn the car off, when I come back to the car I'd like it to still be on that page.

MPG I think it would be good to be able to enter the cost per kW (which I think you can do), the cost per litre of petrol and then have a real representation of mpg. By this I mean that if I drive 20miles, deplete the 7.5kw that is now my usable battery it works out that I spent 82p for 20miles, a gallon costs me £6. 50 say so equivalent to 160mpg. I think they already have to handle different currencies and different measurement approaches globally (€/100km) so it is just a small extension of this.

 

[greendwarf]

As Trex already knows, I'm a big fan of this beast (well the SUV version) - the future?

https://jalopnik.com/rivian-r1t-the-electric-pickup-with-a-front-trunk-that-1830646607

However, note this quote:

"Adaptive control algorithms learn driver behavior, optimizing user-specific battery management for maximizing battery life, reliability and second-life reusability."

Is this what we want?

 

[anko]

Hi Trex,

For sure I have something that I would love to be relayed to Japan. Obviously about my battery capacity and how Mitsubishi in the Netherlands refuses to replace it under warranty. I have some pictures and an excel sheet to go with it. Would you ind PM-ing me an email address so I can send them to you?

Thanks a bunch,

Anko

 

[nils944]

I applaud your efforts Trex!

For those of us with older PHEVs a great software update would be an EV-only mode option (e.g. via re-programming the Eco botton or an option in the MMCS).

It's nuts that the ICE starts just to provide cabin heat. I can just shut off the climate system to avoid engaging the ICE, but often I need it to keep the windows free from fog/frost.

 

[Cobb]

If sticky buttons mean you can start the car from last settings or can adjust them within settings to stay set I would go for that too. For example, I like to be able to start with EV, BO and auto hand brake. But as most people know it is necessary to reset all of these every time the car is started. I would also very much like a built in digital speedometer which could be displayed ideally between the power dial and current speedometer.

 

[elm70]

Later....

 

[jaapv]

When discussing the battery replacement, a refurbished/exchange program might be a good idea as well.

 

[allplayandnowork]

if there is an ability to change a setting in the car could they just add that as a simple toggle or switch in the settings menu rather than have to shut the door, turn it on, lock the door 5 times, put the headlights on, recite your children's names backwards, tap out ' Mitsubishi motors' in Morse on the horn etc.

 

[Trex]

Ok, thanks for replies everyone. Things a little hectic as customers are starting back from their holidays here. Did put "sticky" buttons, as it seems popular, on the list and that should be feasible as from memory they already do that with some of the switches on the PHEV I think. Although I may have been dreaming. :?

Was it the Lane departure button that if you held it on for so long it would remember to stay off? I think it was the parking sonar was sticky as well? Bugger, I need to drive the PHEV more.

Should we work out which buttons we want to be sticky? Could be a lot of software reprogramming if we want them all I think.

Anko, trying to help you at the moment.

 

[VillageIdiotDan]

Thanks Trek. Yes, away from the Mmcs the key candidate for " stickiness " that I've seen is the lane departure and also the eco button I've seen requested.

 

[cornclose]

How about linking the brightness control of the main dash instruments to the screen in the centre (where the media/vehicle info etc is).

At present, even on my 2019 model, the two are seperate. One control should adjust both display brightness settings. Either/Or will do it, but don't force the driver to adjust both all the time!

 

[maby]

...

Should we work out which buttons we want to be sticky? Could be a lot of software reprogramming if we want them all I think.
....

Definitely sticky Save - that is just about the only button I ever press.....

 

[Trex]

Ok folks,

Just a quick catch up of where things are going with my dealings with MMAL (Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited) to ask or suggest from their technical department what I would like to know etc.

Now I wrote in the first post in this topic:

Now you should remember that I am still only dealing with the "middle men or women". I would love to be dealing direct with the engineers in Japan so there will be a delay from when I have asked a question to getting a response. I could imagine even translators are involved. But it is all I can do at the moment.

That "delay from when I have asked a question to getting a response" I wrote about is damn hard to put up with sometimes especially when they are "middle men or women" ie I am not dealing directly with the people that have the answers I would like to know etc. Please be assured I am not trying to put them down. It is just a really slow process sometimes that can be very frustrating IMHO.

So I have found a way of dealing with MMC (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan) direct. This is the company where the design engineers etc work at. It was not easy and it has taken me some time to work out how to get in touch with them but in their 1st reply to me (took about a day and a 1/2 from my 1st message to them ) it is showing a good result I think. The way they are treating my communication with them so far is like a breath of fresh air.

Will let you know how I go with the big bosses and engineers in Japan probably through a translator so I am probably still not dealing direct per se but I hope it works out better than before.

Regards Trex

 

[Phevy]

Thanks Trex for the effort. :mrgreen:

I'm also desiring stickies for EV and ECO. (I now press religiously POWER, EV, ECO every time.)
And NO sticky for the cabin fan!
Of ALL things, why is the cabin heater sticky :?:
Just when I want to avoid the engine to start, I have to remember to turn of the heat before shutdown (or go through the 3 button push sequence )

And yes I think the MMC engineers have done a great job with this vehicle.

 

[ChrisMiller]

Does the forum software support polls? If so, when we have 'a little list', a poll might be useful to give the Mitsubishi engineers a feel for how widespread demand for a particular feature might be from vehicle owners (no doubt they carry out some market research before committing to a change). It needn't be used to determine the result (we all know how 'reliable' Internet polls can be), but it might give more power to Trex's elbow.

 

[Phevy]

Does the forum software support polls?

Yes it does.
Look at the bottom of the page when creating a new topic...