I am awfully sorrry for responding to your post in my way of understanding.
I am a new owner of OUtlander PHEV for 2 months only. And my personal tendency on the new thing is that I dig out all the hidden theoratical background, such as, why do they do that, why it happenes like this, etc. Even in a short time, I've learned much of technical and theorical background of HEV and PHEV, by doing a concentrated search.
When I write a single sentence, I already spend a few hours to find the theoretical knowledge on each phynomina. Practically, I'd rather to find the reason why it happens. If you like your car the way it is, it's not a problem at all. However, my find on the technical or theoretical knowledge would help you understand why the car responds with such result, instead of just drive and see. I never think about to be critic on EV distance what you get. I just expressed how the EV distance became longer, in the manner of theoretical consideration. I strongly believe the Engineers capability to design the software is far beyond from regular people's knowledge in general. So, I would like to keep the car as designed. Also I strongly believe that if we are backed up with the knowledge with depth, we can alter anything according to the knowledge, disregarding the engineers design. I found the odd design of CHAdeMO in this car. I found the reason why they designed the charging port like this. I have an evidence which is the result of self pride in the car business and the result of lazyness of recoverying their mistake.
I still wonder of your choice of EV selection manually. The reason why I wonder is not because of not believing in you, but because I cannot find any technical background of this situation. According to the mechanism I've learned so far about HEV and PHEV, those cars are moving by the Electric motor all the time(100% while driving), disregarding our selection. When the battery gets low, ICE does just charge the battery. Disregarding we choose EV or not, the car has power from motor and motor uses electricity from battery. Selection EV cannot prevent ICE running when the battery goes low instantly or will be low in the future according to the computer calcualtion. According to your expression, EV selection eliminates the ICE using and you want to extend the use of motor power. However, it is only available when the battery has a certain level of energy. If the battery level is high enough then car is running EV mode automatically without displaying anything. Selecting EV in front, the computer has to calculate battery level first because EV need a certain level of charge. Maybe running the generator could be the first sequence to check the battery level, instead charging itself. I am just guessing. EV selection has different purpose, not keeping use of motor for longer EV distance, not like your expection. So, the use of EV mode is when you drive a certain road where you want to keep quite, with the condition of enough battery level. Usually, we SAVE(Hold) battery level before we encounter this spot, and then, we approach the quite driving area, we select EV. The car will not kick the ICE until battery level goes down to minimum. If the battery level is high enough, the car moves without kicking ICE without selection of EV, unless other 12v system requires high drain of power before we notice. This is the situation I can imagine when and how to use EV mode in PHEV. Since the car is always in EV mode. Don't think that ICE moves the car.
Only the exception of using motor alone is that when we intentionally put the car in Parallel mode. In parallel mode, the car use ICE and Electric motor at the same time. Still controlled by the computer precisely. But even in this case, still Electric motor produces torque to move the car. According to my paperthick knowledge, your way of starting the car to prevent ICE kicking is related with software, which controls the level of battery charge. Purpose of the charging battery is not only for the motor running but also for the 12V system running. If the ICE kicks when starting, computer is trying to charge the battery for calculating the forthcoming use of energy. EV selection requires a certain level of charge, the computer software already programmed for calculating future use of battery, such as EV(not limited to this but veriety range of battery use), and not limited instant use of energy. This is safety concept for battery protection. If the 12V system and Motor requires the maximum drain in the future, the computer must prepare from the beginning, considering charging speed cannot take over the battery drain speed, in unknown circumstances. So the computer is considering all possible worst seanario, and does the safety circuit preparation. If without selecting EV in front and the battery is full, still ICE is kicking, it looks like glitch of software, based on my rearch or high use of HVAC. or outside temp. I prefer start the as per user manual. Any selection will be followed for not interupping computer software regular flow.
Maybe I am wrong now, but I am approaching to the happenings in such a way and still there is a chance to correct it if I find another theoratical knowledge. So the knowledge expends wider.
Somehow, I push you guys to take my way of approaching, by explanation of the theorical background, it is not the right way to talk with you. Knowing the background knowledge is up to you, now. Wheather you want to know the core or not, the car is moving forward without any problem. If you are uncomfortable, I gurantee no more posting in this way.
Good luck to you.
No worries my friend.
I do enjoy reading your posts and urge you to continue to do so. I do see that you post a lot of technical information. I/we consider you to be very knowledgeable and appreciate your efforts especially since as you have said that English was not your 1st Language.
I did purchase a PHEV as opposed to an HEV because I prefer to drive my car as much as I can in EV Mode to save money and because it is better for the enviroment.
I was not ready for a BEV because I do have intentions of taking a few long distance trips and feel the PHEV is the best way to go but have not been able to due to a bad hip which bothers me when I sit too long.
I will be buying a Solar Electric vehicle in a year or so once it is built. It is called an Aptera and can charge up to 64kph from the Sun and it's 40kWh Battery will have range of up to 640kms
Back to the Outlander.
As mentioned before I loved my 2018 because I could drive it in Temps higher than -6'C in EV only Mode without the ICE kicking in and I could use Regen Branking from B1 to B5 without the ICE kicking in. I could use the Heater or AC and the ICE would not kick in.
I did love the car but found the 12kWhr Battery a bit small because I was charging the car every day or two.
Then in 2021 I trade up to a 2022 with a 13.8kWhr and it was a great car but the operation of the vehicle had changed.
I found that the ICE would kick in much too often when the temperature dropped lower than 6'C. There was no reason for it because when I pressed the EV button the car should have stayed in EV Mode unless I stepped on the Accelerater to get more speed but it did not stay in EV mode
Because I was not able to force the car to stay in EV mode I spent almost 3x more on fuel than I used to with my 2018. This was due to the fact that the ICE kept running even though the Battery that was more than half full. Even after I charged it to full the ICE would kick in at low temperatures.
When the temperature dropped to -7'C or lower I welcomed the ICE to kick in so that could heat up the Cab.
I have already posted my findings on the 2024 and items that Mitsubishi screwed up, namely, not including a Main Battery Heater, nor a Resistive Heater for the Cab.
It does not matter what the Manual says about this to try to sidestep their error.
Mitsubishi's decision not to include a Main Battery Heater to keep the Battery warm in cold weather has resulted in a Class Action suit being filed in Canada and the USA.
Mitsubishi Corporation has been a very reputaable Company until they released the 2023 and newer Outlander PHEVs.
The Manual is a great source to try to understand how a car should be operated but hands on driving the car is the real test.
The Manual explains that the car can be driven in Series, Parallel Mode or as a Direct drive FWD
This is the beauty of owning this PHEV but some ppl fail to understood what a PHEV can do.
Namely
1) Series Mode - Press the EV Button to allow the Battery to propel the Electric Motors
2) Parallel Mode - Do nothing and let the car decide what to do. Car will start in EV mode then when certain parameters are met, the ICE kicks in to charge the Batery to power the Drive motors.
3) Save Mode - Press or choose the Save option to maintain the current Battery Level. The ICE runs to charge the battery to power the Drive motors and maintain current Battery Level.
4) Charge mode - Starts the ICE to Drive the front wheels and direct excess current charge the batteries
5) Direct Drive - at speeds above 90 kph depending year of car the ICE engages the Clutch which drives the Front wheels and Ekectricsl is removed from the drive motors.
So you see? We have so many choices.
I keep reading posts that question why I want drive in EV mode only and not let the car do it it's own thing.
My choice is and will always be to Drive in EV Mode. But why? Well hhis car is a PHEV and I have the option of choosing EV Mode.
