Premium petrol

[Tubbsy99]

Hi all

With the PHEV engine technically not powering the drive system directly (forgive me if I've used the wrong terminology) as it acts as a generator for the electrical motors. Is there any point in using premium fuel?

 

[maby]

Can't see why it would make any difference what type of transmission it is. The engine has to work pretty much the same irrespective of the transmission type so, if you are the kind of person that puts "premium" petrol into the engine of a car with a gearbox, then put it into your Outlander too. Personally, I've never bought "premium" fuel for any vehicle - I don't believe it does anything useful.

 

[user 422]

I do use it in my Triumph Sprint GT (Bike) and it gives me avg 46MPG over the same journey pattern - commuting journey which was very repeatable... - standard Unleaded would give 42MPG - so approx 7% better MPG...
it was 6% more expensive per Ltr so not really much of a gain.
My Diesel VW Scirocco gave a slightly better performance on the Premium Diesel - that was the twin Clutch Auto gearbox.

I tried a couple of tank fulls in the PHEV but because the ICE is doing a mixture of variable speed low load Generator drive and high load direct drive at motorway speeds it doesn't seem to make any difference in the MPG performance ( based on actual Miles / Ltrs used rather than the Display data )

I have just acquired a OBD reader and software so I can see what the instantaneous Fuel flow and other parameters are during various phases of the drive train - if I get any sensible data I will Post here...

 

[aitchjaybee]

I've never bought premium fuel before but I'm seriously considering it with the PHEV. i still need to do a bit of research - so will follow this thread to see what others say - but my thinking is because of the low fuel use. I've had the current tank of unleaded petrol since 14 July and its still half full. Having done 1,800 miles (2,880Km) so far I see my refueling as once every 3+ months.

Would 'premium fuel' degrade less over time than standard stuff? I'm slightly concerned that the petrol sits in the tank for +3 months - when i look at the fuel caddy i use for my lawnmower it often has sediment in the bottom.

so i wouldnt be looking at it from a better mpg or higher octane rating, but for the deposit cleaner and corrosion inhibitors they claim to have.

what do you think Tubbsy99 :?:

 

[englishman]

Tubbsy99..


There seems to be so much confusion regarding drive modes on the PHEV even reviewers get it wrong see below from Mitsubishi site...


Q: What are the different drive modes and how do I know which drive mode to be in, for example if I am towing?
The different modes are Pure EV, Series Hybrid and Parallel Hybrid. Pure EV mode powers the wheels directly from the Electric Motor and the vehicle can be driven at speeds of up to 74mph. Series Hybrid mode activates when the battery charge is low or when more power is required for accelerating quickly. In this mode the engine runs to charge the battery, which provides power to the wheels. In Parallel Hybrid mode the engine drives the wheels directly, which activates when the battery is empty or the car is driven above 74mph.

The PHEV will automatically select the most optimum drive mode for comfortable driving while providing superior fuel efficiency.

 

[englishman]

ref premium fuels..

I work for Shell UK and I see directly the amount of research money and time to develop these fuels, Shell are not the only company developing these advanced fuels , What are the benefits cleaner engine more MPG and better performance. twenty thirty years ago when you reconditioning an engine the amount of carbon tar and contaminants that you would find was quite common place , strip a modern engine down today and they are so much cleaner by comparison.
I know oil also plays a very important part, I can never understand someone buying a new or fairly new car and using cheap oil just to save a couple of pounds. I used to ride motorbikes and the difference in performance was very noticeably if i used cheaper grade fuel or oils.. but one last point which is very important with regard to this car the advanced fuels will last longer in the tank and not degrade like some of the cheaper brands...i know the PHEV will automatically run off the fuel if it has not been used for a while but you pays your money you takes your choice.
PS i dont get cheaper fuel by the way ...

 

[tarq]

Well, I think after this 1/2 tank, that was supplied, runs out I will be filling with 'premium'

Hubby mostly uses it for his S2000 & his m/bikes, and says they run better, he can always tell which fuel he's running on.

There's less/or no 'ethanol' in the premium, and that's the part that degrades, I think, certainly looking into my mower can after the winter, it looks almost separated, until I give it a good shake!

Just my 2p worth. :lol:

 

[jaapv]

I've never bought premium fuel before but I'm seriously considering it with the PHEV. i still need to do a bit of research - so will follow this thread to see what others say - but my thinking is because of the low fuel use. I've had the current tank of unleaded petrol since 14 July and its still half full. Having done 1,800 miles (2,880Km) so far I see my refueling as once every 3+ months.

Would 'premium fuel' degrade less over time than standard stuff? I'm slightly concerned that the petrol sits in the tank for +3 months - when i look at the fuel caddy i use for my lawnmower it often has sediment in the bottom.

so i wouldnt be looking at it from a better mpg or higher octane rating, but for the deposit cleaner and corrosion inhibitors they claim to have.

what do you think Tubbsy99 :?:

Everything has been foreseen - if you haven't filled up with at least 15 litres in three months, the car will run the ICE until you have put in at least 15 litres again, just to prevent the fuel aging too much.

 

[Hypermiler]

There is a discussion about this somewhere else on this forum...
I thought I noticed an increase in mpg for my Polo using Shell Premium, and it seemed to stop the clogging up of the throttle which was causing it to stall. So I am going to try to keep my PHEV running smoothly by treating it to decent fuel when it is available.
Cheers
H

 

[Tubbsy99]

Tubbsy99..


There seems to be so much confusion regarding drive modes on the PHEV even reviewers get it wrong see below from Mitsubishi site...


Q: What are the different drive modes and how do I know which drive mode to be in, for example if I am towing?
The different modes are Pure EV, Series Hybrid and Parallel Hybrid. Pure EV mode powers the wheels directly from the Electric Motor and the vehicle can be driven at speeds of up to 74mph. Series Hybrid mode activates when the battery charge is low or when more power is required for accelerating quickly. In this mode the engine runs to charge the battery, which provides power to the wheels. In Parallel Hybrid mode the engine drives the wheels directly, which activates when the battery is empty or the car is driven above 74mph.

The PHEV will automatically select the most optimum drive mode for comfortable driving while providing superior fuel efficiency.

Well you learn something everyday! I thought the engine acted like a generator for the electric motors but wasn't actually connected to the drive system. If it is connected and provides direct power then i think it would be worth using premium petrol. I know for my Audi (soon to be gone) A6 i can feel the difference when using premium diesel. I'm sure they over exaggerate the true benefits but especially with a brand new car i want to get it in tip top shape.