How to make ICE not run and average 80-95mpg.

[gusboy]

After buying a top spec PHEV I've been shocked and frustrated with the average MPG of around 20mpg especially as this replaced a 5Litre Touareg that average 25mpg.
Here's how to make it work as it should.

1. Go to a petrol station and fill a jerry can with 10 litres of fuel.
2. Place jerry can in boot of PHEV.
3. Charge PHEV daily and ignore car telling you to fill with fuel.
4. Drive car as normal and be amazed as it behaves like the sale person told you it would.

I've done 150miles since the car told me I had run out of fuel and I'm averaging 92.6mpg
I think that the Mitzi software engineers have designed the car to run more battery bias when the car is low on fuel. Hopefully this can be fixed by them with a software update ?
FYI its not below freezing yet so I don't know how long this will work for, but my plan is to just put some fuel in and let the ICE do the thing its been desperate to do!

 

[jaapv]

If you leave the tank completely empty you will do at least 10.000 MPG.

The only way to get your car achieve high MPG values is to use electricity. Which means keeping it charged up and controlling your right foot.
With the right kind of use it will return excellent results.

 

[Ozukus]

I'm surprised your only getting 20mpg with a GX4h.

By example I have a 34 mile commute cross London to the office leaving at 5.45AM in a GX3h so no chance of pre-heat or pre-demist.

On a no frost day with the temperature set at 18 degrees and running in Eco Mode I averaged over 100mpg and on a frost day using the same approach I averaged over 75mpg.

This first shot is of the day I averaged just over 100mpg however I turned the heating up in order for ICE to stay kicked in once I arrived at the office as the display showed "--.-" as it can't show more than 99.9mpg so I had to wait for it to drop, missed the shot when it said 99.7mpg.

 

[maby]

The fact that the OP is getting away with this shows that he is only using the car for very short journeys and is getting caught in that point in its performance where it is firing up the engine to heat the car and get the oil flowing. Like any petrol driven car, it is very inefficient for the first few miles, then picks up rapidly. I've spent almost a week unable to charge in quite cold weather and using it daily - provided you are travelling more than a few miles, its natural performance as a petrol car is around 40mpg.

If the OP can get away with leaving the tank empty, it is possibly the case that he would have been better off with a Leaf or Zoe. I don't understand why anyone would pay £35k for a large 4WD to just pop to the local shops.

 

[jaapv]

Quite. I just converted the mileage to something i can understand :twisted: .
8 Kms per litre - Even Autobahn driving 150 KpH (AKA 95 MpH) with a fully laden car plus skibox never got me that low.

Btw. somebody - was it PolishPilot? pointed out that the worst effect of not warming the ICE through is damage to the Catalysator.

 

[gusboy]

I require a car to get to work in all weathers therefore it needs to be a 4 x 4. This was the lowest CO 4x4 on the market therefore car tax wise was the most sensible choice.
Some times I do a large distance and do not want to stop for electric so a Leaf or Zoe is not an option.
I think wouldn't be quite as irritated if someone from the Mitsubishi dealership actually understood what they were selling and said.
'Doing a large distance, buy a diesel'
'Doing 80% short distances and want to be warm, buy a diesel'

 

[maby]

The vast majority of cars on the road are not 4x4, but their owners still get to work every day.

I don't think that a diesel would be significantly better for the "80% short distances keeping warm" scenario - all cars are inefficient for the first few miles - we just don't notice it in diesel and petrol cars that do not have the same sophisticated performance monitoring tools. Does it really matter for the short journeys? 100 yards at 5mpg does not burn a lot of petrol even though it is a terrible rate of fuel consumption. It will do a lot better in the warmer weather too - you need to take the holistic view of running costs over the year and over your full range of journeys. I've never reset the fuel consumption meter on our GX4h - now with close to 3000 miles on the clock - it is showing around 50mpg. When I take my wife to the station on a cold winter morning and get back home (round trip of about 2 miles), the daily mpg is showing about 15 - but I only did 2 miles, so I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

 

[maddogsetc]

After buying a top spec PHEV I've been shocked and frustrated with the average MPG of around 20mpg especially as this replaced a 5Litre Touareg that average 25mpg.
Here's how to make it work as it should.

1. Go to a petrol station and fill a jerry can with 10 litres of fuel.
2. Place jerry can in boot of PHEV.
3. Charge PHEV daily and ignore car telling you to fill with fuel.
4. Drive car as normal and be amazed as it behaves like the sale person told you it would.

I've done 150miles since the car told me I had run out of fuel and I'm averaging 92.6mpg
I think that the Mitzi software engineers have designed the car to run more battery bias when the car is low on fuel. Hopefully this can be fixed by them with a software update ?
FYI its not below freezing yet so I don't know how long this will work for, but my plan is to just put some fuel in and let the ICE do the thing its been desperate to do!

Like others I can't really understand your figures, in particular I can't see how using the last few litres in the tank can get you from 20mpg to 80+mpg? :?

I've certainly not experienced any programming bias towards battery use as the fuel load reduces. If anything I find that the first (indicated) half tank seems to last longer than the second, but that's probably due to the lack of a 'reserve' zone I guess.

I'm rarely unable to charge, but my experience is consistent with others ie. that around 35-40mpg is readily achievable even on longer runs where battery charge is not very significant.

Have you only recently taken delivery? If so my advice would be don't despair - the car is much better at conserving fuel once the temperatures are consistently above 10 deg C.

Secondly, are your journeys mostly very short (ie. <4-5 miles)? If so then you are probably one of those unfortunate users with the worst possible journey profile for winter use. But again don't despair because in summer you will be using virtually no petrol at all.

You can certainly reduce the effect of the car using ICE to heat. Most obviously, if you are fortunate enough to have a garage and be able to actually park in it (!). If you can keep the car's temperature up overnight you should radically reduce use of the ICE to heat. Preheating will help too, although there are sadly significant limits to what can be achieved with that. Lastly, if you are willing to wrap up and shiver then there are techniques which have been discussed on here that will enable you to minimize ICE use in cold weather.

If however you are genuinely getting 20mpg (ie. measured on a brim to brim calculation, not relying on the MMCS) on a decent run (7-8 miles plus) and with a fully charged battery then I think you need to go back to the dealer / Mitsubishi because that is way below what most of us on here are achieving.

HTH.

 

[PolishPilot]

I hope Mitsubishi is reading it.

All these discussions come to one simple point:

- "Pure EV" button.

All PHEV have it, just not the Outlander PHEV!

I still don't get it why. I understand their will to make us warm up faster,
or to assure the ICE engine proper wear and tear, but I am a grown up boy,
I want to be able to chose myself, If I wish to get warmer 3 min. later
and drive with no gas, or not.

When I have preheated, on a short 3-5 mile trip there is absolutely no reason
to start ICE, whatever the outside temperature is. The car software algorithm
has no way to predict, how long the trip will continue, but we, the drivers do!
On short trips the ICE will also never reach the proper temperature, so why
turn it on at all?

Give us the freedom to use this knowledge to optimize the PHEV performance!!!

 

[Ozukus]

I find if I want it to run with no ICE I just press the "OFF" button on the climate control, seems to work a treat!

 

[PolishPilot]

I find if I want it to run with no ICE I just press the "OFF" button on the climate control, seems to work a treat!

But I WANT the defrosting, and heat, and blower, just not the ICE running!
I paid more for the electric heating for a reason!

Why should I give up my comfort in a 50K€ car just because some software
engineer by Mitsubishi had a crazy idea, he knows better than me,
what I prefer.

The description of the empty tank trick above, is nothing else as forcing the car
into pure electric mode. It shows, such mode is possible and available
in the software, but we just miss the button to activate it.

It is truly ridiculous.

 

[gwatpe]

I hope Mitsubishi is reading it.

All these discussions come to one simple point:

- "Pure EV" button.

All PHEV have it, just not the Outlander PHEV!

I still don't get it why. I understand their will to make us warm up faster,
or to assure the ICE engine proper wear and tear, but I am a grown up boy,
I want to be able to chose myself, If I wish to get warmer 3 min. later
and drive with no gas, or not.

When I have preheated, on a short 3-5 mile trip there is absolutely no reason
to start ICE, whatever the outside temperature is. The car software algorithm
has no way to predict, how long the trip will continue, but we, the drivers do!
On short trips the ICE will also never reach the proper temperature, so why
turn it on at all?

Give us the freedom to use this knowledge to optimize the PHEV performance!!!

I have driven one of the Prius, a few years old, with the EV button. As soon as you press the accelerator EV mode is terminated above 40kph. This car has the button, but it is next to useless.

 

[SMB]

I hope Mitsubishi is reading it.

All these discussions come to one simple point:

- "Pure EV" button.

All PHEV have it, just not the Outlander PHEV!

I still don't get it why. I understand their will to make us warm up faster,
or to assure the ICE engine proper wear and tear, but I am a grown up boy,
I want to be able to chose myself, If I wish to get warmer 3 min. later
and drive with no gas, or not.

When I have preheated, on a short 3-5 mile trip there is absolutely no reason
to start ICE, whatever the outside temperature is. The car software algorithm
has no way to predict, how long the trip will continue, but we, the drivers do!
On short trips the ICE will also never reach the proper temperature, so why
turn it on at all?

Give us the freedom to use this knowledge to optimize the PHEV performance!!!

Here here, I agree completely.

 

[maby]

I hope Mitsubishi is reading it.

All these discussions come to one simple point:

- "Pure EV" button.

All PHEV have it, just not the Outlander PHEV!

I still don't get it why. I understand their will to make us warm up faster,
or to assure the ICE engine proper wear and tear, but I am a grown up boy,
I want to be able to chose myself, If I wish to get warmer 3 min. later
and drive with no gas, or not.

When I have preheated, on a short 3-5 mile trip there is absolutely no reason
to start ICE, whatever the outside temperature is. The car software algorithm
has no way to predict, how long the trip will continue, but we, the drivers do!
On short trips the ICE will also never reach the proper temperature, so why
turn it on at all?

Give us the freedom to use this knowledge to optimize the PHEV performance!!!

Here here, I agree completely.

Then buy one of the other PHEVs.

 

[KentishSteve]

I find if I want it to run with no ICE I just press the "OFF" button on the climate control, seems to work a treat!

:lol: I found that after a few days as well, it works well with me

 

[Marksuk]

I find if I want it to run with no ICE I just press the "OFF" button on the climate control, seems to work a treat!

:lol: I found that after a few days as well, it works well with me

Mine does that too but im not freezing for anyone

 

[PolishPilot]

....
I have driven one of the Prius, a few years old, with the EV button. As soon as you press the accelerator EV mode is terminated above 40kph. This car has the button, but it is next to useless.

In case of Outlander it would have not been useless.

The two electric motors and the battery power of 60kW allows you to
drive up to 120 km/h (75 mph), which is quite practical.

The more it is ridiculous, that Prius has such a button,
and Outlander PHEV does not!

 

[PolishPilot]

...

Then buy one of the other PHEVs.

We certainly would, but there is no other 4WD PHEV
except Outlander on the market.

It has powerful motors and battery,
good enough for perfect pure electric drive, so
no logic reason for not furnishing it with EV driving mode.

 

[Marksuk]

To be fair to Mitsubishi it does not say that it is purely an electric vehicle, it might not be quite what you expected it to be but it does it in a very reasonable enough way.
If you want just an EV that works differently and to your own individual requirements then you really should have got a different car instead.

 

[maby]

...

Then buy one of the other PHEVs.

We certainly would, but there is no other 4WD PHEV
except Outlander on the market.

It has powerful motors and battery,
good enough for perfect pure electric drive, so
no logic reason for not furnishing it with EV driving mode.

If it mattered that much to you, you should have done more research before handing over your money - sorry!