EV ONLY MODE

[Bilbo59]

Can someone give me a technically grounded explanation why an EV only mode is not possible.

 

[jaapv]

No, as Mercedes has obviously implemented it.
It appears to be a design decision by Mitsubishi based on safety concerns. After all, this is a Hybrid, not a pure EV.
The simplest reason: there is no button... :twisted:

Now, if there were a simple way to switch off the engine when used for heating, that would be another matter.

 

[Bilbo59]

The motor does not just start for heating - it seems to start on any heavy electrical load.

It shouldn't need a button either - just a software setting and could probably be done now by changing the firmware.

If the program starts the engine under certain parameters then those can be changed.

 

[jaapv]

Yes- but how would you get the car to deliver full power? The electric motors only deliver half or less at speed.

 

[Phever]

Surely the software could be tweaked to keep it in EV only mode as long as the throttle is not pressed more than a certain percentage down?

 

[Bilbo59]

If you need full power the computer could overide the EV mode. If you are travelling on battery now and require additional speed - the ICE will start when the demand for speed reaches a point set in the software.

However - for a short journey in a 30mph limit - if you do not require full motor power and have plenty of battery capacity then EV mode would work well. At the moment, the trigger for ICE is set for non drive motor electrical load as well as drive requirements. If all electrical demand is switched off on a cold day then the car runs on battery - switch on heated seats, heater, lights etc and the motor starts even with no change of motor demand.

Mitsubishi make a lot of the fact that the car will run 30 odd miles on battery - so - even if it is a hybrid - the expectation from some owners, particularly those who have an engineering background on electric propulsion systems, is that it should travel on electric power only for two miles on a cold day with no ICE required.

 

[maby]

It's a design decision - I'm afraid that if it was that important to you, you should have asked more questions before buying.

 

[jaapv]

Surely the software could be tweaked to keep it in EV only mode as long as the throttle is not pressed more than a certain percentage down?

That is exactly what it does...At decent temperatures.

 

[jaapv]

If you need full power the computer could overide the EV mode. If you are travelling on battery now and require additional speed - the ICE will start when the demand for speed reaches a point set in the software.

.

Not speed -power.

 

[Fbitc]

However - for a short journey in a 30mph limit - if you do not require full motor power and have plenty of battery capacity then EV mode would work well. At the moment, the trigger for ICE is set for non drive motor electrical load as well as drive requirements. If all electrical demand is switched off on a cold day then the car runs on battery - switch on heated seats, heater, lights etc and the motor starts even with no change of motor demand.

no, ev mode works well with climate/heating set to "off"; you can use light, seat heating as well without ICE starting... so for my car...

 

[Bilbo59]

It's a design decision - I'm afraid that if it was that important to you, you should have asked more questions before buying.

Maby, that is a seriously unhelpful comment and almost insulting. Just because you buy a car does not mean you are committed to accepting everything about it that potentially can be improved during your period of ownership. And just because you didn't ask every conceivable question of the salesperson does not change this.

The 10 minute heating setting was also a 'design decision' - but you know what - Mitsubishi responded to customer feedback and we now have choices. The design decision being discussed here appears to be software controlled - which means - it is potentially changeable and from what I see on the forum, quite a few owners would like it changed. If you wish to accept everything about the car then that is your prerogative. As an engineer, with experience in the car industry in a previous life, I feel that if enough people ask for a capability, then car manufacturers will usually try to accommodate it - if it is feasible and not too expensive.

If you look at the features on the new Gx5 you will see many of the items added that owners on here have already discussed and added, excepting the leather interior. I suspect Mitsubishi checked with customers before creating it!

 

[maby]

However - for a short journey in a 30mph limit - if you do not require full motor power and have plenty of battery capacity then EV mode would work well. At the moment, the trigger for ICE is set for non drive motor electrical load as well as drive requirements. If all electrical demand is switched off on a cold day then the car runs on battery - switch on heated seats, heater, lights etc and the motor starts even with no change of motor demand.

no, ev mode works well with climate/heating set to "off"; you can use light, seat heating as well without ICE starting... so for my car...

This corresponds to my experience - it is primarily climate control that kicks the engine on in cold weather. Once it starts, the software does keep it on for a while - better for the engine that way.

 

[Bilbo59]

Why is it better for the engine? If it is not required at all on a short journey, why would starting it on a cold day help it mechanically?

 

[Phever]

Surely the software could be tweaked to keep it in EV only mode as long as the throttle is not pressed more than a certain percentage down?

That is exactly what it does...At decent temperatures.

Then it could be tweaked further to work in colder temperatures. Perhaps as an option in the car settings. If I want to flatten my battery in 15 miles by actually being warm in the car on a sub zero day, then I would like that choice.

I would bet test drives in this cold snap will have put a few off buying. Especially private owners. I tested mine in August or September, so had no way of knowing, and the dealer didn't volunteer the information and probably didn't know anyway.

 

[maby]

It's a design decision - I'm afraid that if it was that important to you, you should have asked more questions before buying.

Maby, that is a seriously unhelpful comment and almost insulting. Just because you buy a car does not mean you are committed to accepting everything about it that potentially can be improved during your period of ownership. And just because you didn't ask every conceivable question of the salesperson does not change this.

The 10 minute heating setting was also a 'design decision' - but you know what - Mitsubishi responded to customer feedback and we now have choices. The design decision being discussed here appears to be software controlled - which means - it is potentially changeable and from what I see on the forum, quite a few owners would like it changed. If you wish to accept everything about the car then that is your prerogative. As an engineer, with experience in the car industry in a previous life, I feel that if enough people ask for a capability, then car manufacturers will usually try to accommodate it - if it is feasible and not too expensive.

If you look at the features on the new Gx5 you will see many of the items added that owners on here have already discussed and added, excepting the leather interior. I suspect Mitsubishi checked with customers before creating it!

Sorry - it was not intended to be insulting, but it is frustrating to see this complaint raised again and again. It is a hybrid, not an EV and it burns petrol when the designers decided that was the right thing to do. Perhaps my reaction is based on my previous Prius ownership - the Outlander behaves pretty much the way I expected based on the brochures and the way a Prius works. The other changes that have been made either via software updates or introduced with the GX5 are pretty much cosmetic. You are asking for a far more fundamental change to the design principles of the car. I do believe that if something was that important to you, you should have asked more questions before buying rather than assuming that you could complain and expect them to change it. I use it as a general purpose car and burn a lot of petrol - a pint on a cold morning to warm the cabin up is not a significant issue.

 

[maby]

...
Then it could be tweaked further to work in colder temperatures. Perhaps as an option in the car settings. If I want to flatten my battery in 15 miles by actually being warm in the car on a sub zero day, then I would like that choice.

I would bet test drives in this cold snap will have put a few off buying. Especially private owners. I tested mine in August or September, so had no way of knowing, and the dealer didn't volunteer the information and probably didn't know anyway.

I'm only getting about 16 miles of EV range with the current programming in this weather - forcing the engine off would probably get it down to less than 10.

 

[Phever]

...
Then it could be tweaked further to work in colder temperatures. Perhaps as an option in the car settings. If I want to flatten my battery in 15 miles by actually being warm in the car on a sub zero day, then I would like that choice.

I would bet test drives in this cold snap will have put a few off buying. Especially private owners. I tested mine in August or September, so had no way of knowing, and the dealer didn't volunteer the information and probably didn't know anyway.

I'm only getting about 16 miles of EV range with the current programming in this weather - forcing the engine off would probably get it down to less than 10.

Ok, 10 then. Just so happens that would cover my journey to the train station and back!

 

[Bilbo59]

The cost of the petrol is not an issue - it is the frustration of knowing that if there was a variable setting on the software, I could drive a short distance with no engine. Just because it is a hybrid does not mean the engine has to run, or that we accept it has to run. The car is capable of running in pure EV, only the software settings prevent that from happening. That means they could be changed. I suspect it isn't that difficult, and having been told by a Mitsubishi technician that they can tweak quite a bit in the garage, I will explore it more at the first service.

 

[Bilbo59]

...
Then it could be tweaked further to work in colder temperatures. Perhaps as an option in the car settings. If I want to flatten my battery in 15 miles by actually being warm in the car on a sub zero day, then I would like that choice.

I would bet test drives in this cold snap will have put a few off buying. Especially private owners. I tested mine in August or September, so had no way of knowing, and the dealer didn't volunteer the information and probably didn't know anyway.

I'm only getting about 16 miles of EV range with the current programming in this weather - forcing the engine off would probably get it down to less than 10.

Ok, 10 then. Just so happens that would cover my journey to the train station and back!

Would also cover my 2 mile return trip to the supermarket!!!!

 

[jaapv]

Surely the software could be tweaked to keep it in EV only mode as long as the throttle is not pressed more than a certain percentage down?

That is exactly what it does...At decent temperatures.

Then it could be tweaked further to work in colder temperatures. Perhaps as an option in the car settings. If I want to flatten my battery in 15 miles by actually being warm in the car on a sub zero day, then I would like that choice.

I would bet test drives in this cold snap will have put a few off buying. Especially private owners. I tested mine in August or September, so had no way of knowing, and the dealer didn't volunteer the information and probably didn't know anyway.

Well, it does work in lower temperatures. It just doesn't work the way you would like it to work.
After a few miles it switches back to normal operation and electric heating, just like a hybrid should.
If you wanted a PHEV with a pure EV setting, you should have gone for a Mercedes, or maybe a Leaf. It was clear from the beginning that the design philosophy on the Outlander was aimed at an integrated concept.
If you want a minimum of ICE at the cost of comfort, just turn the heating all the way down to 15, switch off the airco, switch off the car and hit the ECO button as soon as possible. It guarantees blue toes, but it harnesses the ICE.