Just returned from a holiday in Cornwall where we encountered several 10% inclines. The PHEV struggled up these inclines and, where there were overtaking lanes, was unable to overtake slower 'tourists' without impeding faster ICE cars. I found myself wondering how on earth caravaners could use PHEV's for towing.
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PHEV Power Issue
- Thread starter Pickygit
- Start date
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jaapv
Well-known member
Not my experience - I drive it regularly in the Alps and it is a powerful climber. I think 3000 meter mountain passes @ 15-17 % are a good test. One thing to do I find is to have "charge" engaged permanently in the mountains.
It keeps the battery charged up to deliver full power over longer periods (not applicable on the short slopes of Cornwall I should think) and it will allow the car to pick up without hesitation.
It keeps the battery charged up to deliver full power over longer periods (not applicable on the short slopes of Cornwall I should think) and it will allow the car to pick up without hesitation.
Steel188
Well-known member
I have to agree with jaapv, following a recent two day, 800 mile, round trip with various detours, the car performed wonderfully.
As there is no gearbox, just press the throttle quickly into the carpet and off you go!
As there is no gearbox, just press the throttle quickly into the carpet and off you go!
greendwarf
Well-known member
If you've allowed the battery to fall to minimum, then the ICE might struggle on its own - hence the advice to use charge to maintain a reserve. Worked a treat for me in Ireland last month. 
Pickygit said:
If you were driving too slow for parallel mode to engage, you will get this effect as the engine wants to make maximum power so the generator can supply 60kW.
As long as you can maintain more than 65km/h, the ICE will drive the front wheels directly and the battery can supply another 60kW worth of "push" and that works very well.
jaapv
Well-known member
In series parallel mode the battery can supply 60 kW and the generator 60 kW supplementary. If more power is needed the car can go into parallel hybrid mode from 35 Mph upwards to supply an extra 30 kW. So either 120 kW under 35 Mph or 150 kW over 35 Mph, that is plenty of power.
jaapv said:
I don't think that's quite right!
At say 40MPH and in parallel mode, the engine is nowhere near making 70kW (it is in fact only about 30) and there won't be much left for the generator. The battery can only do 60kW max, so you won't be getting anywhere near 150kW total.
jaapv
Well-known member
Whatever. 120 kW is on tap -always- in series. That gets you up 10% pretty niftily. The torque is more important for climbing though.
From 55 kmh onwards the power curve of the car is flat @ 180 HP.
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2168
From 55 kmh onwards the power curve of the car is flat @ 180 HP.
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2168
No issues towing a heavy trailer over the M62 recently or driving family and bikes through the alps up some long, long gradients.
It gets very "shouty" running like this but performance was fine. Not relaxing, sounds abusive but it is the manufacturers software making it happen so i guess i have to ignore the nosie and get on with it!
It gets very "shouty" running like this but performance was fine. Not relaxing, sounds abusive but it is the manufacturers software making it happen so i guess i have to ignore the nosie and get on with it!
jaapv
Well-known member
The only thing I can think of is that the OP started the climb on a flat battery and managed to get the car into Turtle mode.
Grigou
Well-known member
Yes I can confirm : without towing my car switched in turtle mode near the top of the col du Mont Cenis 4 weeks ago, driving to Italy : terrible feeling ! I was in Save during all the climbing from the valley (80 to 100 km I think)
No problem when I returned to France with the Charge mode from Susa
No problem when I returned to France with the Charge mode from Susa
The car is pretty rubbish on long journeys under load. I would never recommend it to anyone wanting to tow and would certainly not lease another. I am stuck with mine for 5 years (three more). It averages about 65 mpg locally, but we travel to Austria a couple of times a year and also to Germany and at average autobahn speeds it struggles to achieve 24mpg. Really really poor. Our new Citroen Picasso with the 120 ps HDI engine and 7 seats averages 47mpg on the exact same journey and is a far better proposition, with consistent power on tap and also never randomly decides to shut down all power and stop, which our Outlander PHEV continues to do on long journeys. Do Mitsubishi care? Ha - you bet they don't, and won't even take reasonable steps to investigate the problem. Also how Mitsubishi can get away with their mileage claims is a mystery.
That said, we plan to limit the larger outings and overall the car will prove reasonably economical on that basis over five years, but only because we have a second ICE car to take on longer journeys, which hybrids are supposed to eliminate the need for. Why on earth they didn't fit the turbo 2 litre engine rather than the normally aspirated down-tuned engine is beyond me, that would have significantly improved economy and is surely not unreasonable in a £40,000 car!
That said, we plan to limit the larger outings and overall the car will prove reasonably economical on that basis over five years, but only because we have a second ICE car to take on longer journeys, which hybrids are supposed to eliminate the need for. Why on earth they didn't fit the turbo 2 litre engine rather than the normally aspirated down-tuned engine is beyond me, that would have significantly improved economy and is surely not unreasonable in a £40,000 car!
itserve said:
Well.... it's not that sort of car!
Should have done more homework before you bought it!
The car is brilliant for mainly short runs and the occasional longer trip, that is what is was undoubtedly designed for.
If most cars were like it, you would not have the brown haze over major cities on many days.
jaapv
Well-known member
Sorry, this is rather silly.itserve said:
I do the same type of journey regularly. I calculate that I am close to clocking up half a million Autobahn kilometers over the years, but less nowadays, which makes the PHEV a sensible car for me.
I certainly don't hang about, but I do try to arrive in one piece. Normal Autobahn speed nowadays is 130-150 kph, in fact long stretches have a 130 kph speed limit - the 250 kph days are more a thing of the Seventies and Eighties...
At normal speeds the car will do about 11 km/l which is quite acceptable for a petrol car of this weight and size. But it is not what the car was designed for, despite it being exceptionally quiet and smooth. Btw., the power curve of the turbo engine is not very suitable for driving a generator, nor a car without gearshift.
If you manage to drive the car into reduced power mode on a regular basis, it is quite telling about your driving style - it is quite a feat to do so.
If you wanted an Autobahn cruiser, Audi and Mercedes offer a wide range of vehicles that fit your need. However, those turn out to be pretty rubbish SUVs.
What the price has to do with it is quite beyond me. An acquaintance of mine drives a 250.000 Euro Ferrari, and it gobbles about twice as much fuel as my simple PHEV...
greendwarf
Well-known member
So are we to understand that the savings you make on local journey's with the PHEV are enough to pay for the tax & insurance of a second car?
itserve said:
If you put the car on charge mode when doing a long trip is not easy to get into turttle mode. Lots of trips of 400km at 150km/h and no issues. And at 125 km/h i've averaged 7l/100km (33mpg) on a 400km journey which is really good for a 1800kg awd gasoline brick, but playing a lot with car modes.
There is nothing to investigate, if you have flat battery it can't supply power, avoid flat battery and no issues.
Has no sense to put a turbo engine on the PHEV. Continuous stops and starts and demanding power to a cold engine is the worst scenario for turbos. Is normally aspirated but more reliable and less polluting.
jaapv
Well-known member
Correct operation of the car and a sensible driving style would help a lot...HHL said:
greendwarf
Well-known member
HHL said:
What about renting a second then for itserve's continental journey's, rather than owning 2 :idea:
alanjohnnorman
Active member
Still very new to my PHEV and interesting to read the comments thank you.
On a trip down to London ran out of battery and never had any power issues and it was not until the evening when I plugged it into the charge point at home.
Is there a need to press the save button as I did not and never in all the 200 mile trip found any power issues and was amazed at how punchy it was keeping to UK speed limits and also the occasional burst for overtaking. Please would you guys kindly give some guidance for future long trips as Holland is next - YES !
Secondly, would you be so kind to explain "switch to parallel hybrid" or in "series mode"
Many thanks in advance.
Regards,
Alan
On a trip down to London ran out of battery and never had any power issues and it was not until the evening when I plugged it into the charge point at home.
Is there a need to press the save button as I did not and never in all the 200 mile trip found any power issues and was amazed at how punchy it was keeping to UK speed limits and also the occasional burst for overtaking. Please would you guys kindly give some guidance for future long trips as Holland is next - YES !
Secondly, would you be so kind to explain "switch to parallel hybrid" or in "series mode"
Many thanks in advance.
Regards,
Alan
