What features would you like to see added to the Outlander PHEV in the future?

[ChrisMiller]

Remember your personal settings, to save having to run through a 'check list' each time I switch on the car. Even better, separate settings for Driver 1 and Driver 2!

 

[Jedinsky]

Remember your personal settings, to save having to run through a 'check list' each time I switch on the car. Even better, separate settings for Driver 1 and Driver 2!

in the 2024 this is partly implemented for seat settings and the little "intro animation" thing when you start the car (i turned it off and noticed that it still plays when i use the second key), it may also apply to other settings, i haven't explored this in-depth though.

it'd be nice to be able to set which mode the car defaults to on startup (I.E. "normal", "EV", or "save")

I've also recently found out about XNO niobium batteries, which would make for an interesting upgrade, as they have greater energy density than LFP and LMC batteries, much longer lifespan, and ridiculously fast charge/discharge rates (10C). it'd be possible to install a 30-40KWh battery pack capable of 300+kw charge and discharge, enabling both full use of the electric motors at 185kw in EV mode, fast charging at charger stations, and fast self-charging at the engine's most efficient RPM, without compromising battery life.

 

[BobK]

in the 2024 this is partly implemented for seat settings and the little "intro animation" thing when you start the car (i turned it off and noticed that it still plays when i use the second key), it may also apply to other settings, i haven't explored this in-depth though.

it'd be nice to be able to set which mode the car defaults to on startup (I.E. "normal", "EV", or "save")

I've also recently found out about XNO niobium batteries, which would make for an interesting upgrade, as they have greater energy density than LFP and LMC batteries, much longer lifespan, and ridiculously fast charge/discharge rates (10C). it'd be possible to install a 30-40KWh battery pack capable of 300+kw charge and discharge, enabling both full use of the electric motors at 185kw in EV mode, fast charging at charger stations, and fast self-charging at the engine's most efficient RPM, without compromising battery life.

 

[BobK]

I would also add to this a single setting for "Trailer Mode" so that I don't have to run through a half dozen menus turning off all the settings Mitsubishi recommends like rear object detection etc. that are incompatible with the trailer, then doing it again to turn them back on once the trailer is detached.

 

[tyleriv]

1) After Sale traction battery plug in heater for existing 2023+ owners
2) Consider an 12V ICE starter as a backup to the generator ICE starter. This would permit a "limp mode" where the traction battery fails to operate or start the ICE. Alternatively, allow the 12V battery to drive the generator as the starter motor where the traction battery fails. The 12V would be upconverted to the generator voltage and if necessary create a short term drive current to start the ICE. These small changes would lead to a backup for a failed traction battery (for whatever reason - cold - system failure, low traction battery capacity etc.) and again allow one to truly "Jump Start" your vehicle from another vehicle. Another alternative would be to permit the traction battery to source current to the generator as a starter even when the traction battery is too cold. This sounds like a software change - it would allow the operation of the vehicle with ICE only. The current is small compared to driving the electric motors - I hope that this would not damage the traction battery - as a software change this would eliminate the no-start problem.
3) Improved cup holder location
4) Lock down the 3rd seat - it is constantly popping up over bumps or drop it altogether - it is too small to use and just uses cargo space.
5) Improved fuel / Power door opening mechanism
6) Provide text explanations of the Check Engine Lamp (CEL) when illuminated! (i.e. on-board ODB functions). I can't think of a reason not to have a description of the illumination of the lamp to the operator of the vehicle except perhaps to insure that the service people can extract 160$+ from your wallet. This is analogous to IDIOT lights as effective gauge replacements.
7) Improved heat pump tech to support lower effective operating temperatures (or the use of a less efficient but more effective heating element in the heater core - I believe BMW does this). As a corollary, and as I understand it, the heat pump cools the traction battery in warm weather situations. Why not have the heat pump warm the traction battery (even if only to -10C) in extreme cold through the same mechanism as the cabin heating. Now the traction battery can be warmed while charging saving the battery and insuring that the car is usable. Assuming that this is correct, I wonder if this is just a software change?
8) Display fuel/power efficiency in Litres Equivalent. My fuel efficiency is great (< 1l/100km) but that does not account for the use of the traction battery.
9) Vented seats - great in the heat of the summer and if the car can pre-warm in the winter with vented heated seats - Win!
10) Better placement of the fuel/power door and tailgate controls (e.g. beside the ceiling controls).
11) Improved aided steering control in ACC. Compared to my other car, this car feels a bit like a pin ball between the lane markings
12) Remote Start ICE - In cold weather, with the current heat pump situation, we know the car will not warm effectively without the ICE running.
13) I don't know if there are privacy concerns - but I would like to see the location of my car at ALL times regardless of proximity to my phone. I've had a couple cars stolen in the past. It would be nice to see the app "ALERT" me to my car being driven away from my phone. I know it would be dangerous to stop the car remotely, but at least I could inform the authorities of the location and movement while happening.
14) For all cars I would like to see some standardization of the location/operation of things like Wipers, Hi/Lo Beam. I undergo negative reenforcement between my cars having to remember where each car does its magic.
15) Ability - though the app - to set up my own dash display parameters. E.g. tach, oil pressure, traction temp, 12V battery voltage.... It's all there, just not displayed.
16) Allow me to program my own low speed noise - I want to use the "Jetsons car" noise - This could make for an interesting world. Ok Ok, not a great idea.

 

[IllustratedRat]

Remember your personal settings, to save having to run through a 'check list' each time I switch on the car. Even better, separate settings for Driver 1 and Driver 2!

YES, this! Please, Stellantis - listen to our plea.

 

[Jhelman]

1) After Sale traction battery plug in heater for existing 2023+ owners
2) Consider an 12V ICE starter as a backup to the generator ICE starter. This would permit a "limp mode" where the traction battery fails to operate or start the ICE. Alternatively, allow the 12V battery to drive the generator as the starter motor where the traction battery fails. The 12V would be upconverted to the generator voltage and if necessary create a short term drive current to start the ICE. These small changes would lead to a backup for a failed traction battery (for whatever reason - cold - system failure, low traction battery capacity etc.) and again allow one to truly "Jump Start" your vehicle from another vehicle. Another alternative would be to permit the traction battery to source current to the generator as a starter even when the traction battery is too cold. This sounds like a software change - it would allow the operation of the vehicle with ICE only. The current is small compared to driving the electric motors - I hope that this would not damage the traction battery - as a software change this would eliminate the no-start problem.
3) Improved cup holder location
4) Lock down the 3rd seat - it is constantly popping up over bumps or drop it altogether - it is too small to use and just uses cargo space.
5) Improved fuel / Power door opening mechanism
6) Provide text explanations of the Check Engine Lamp (CEL) when illuminated! (i.e. on-board ODB functions). I can't think of a reason not to have a description of the illumination of the lamp to the operator of the vehicle except perhaps to insure that the service people can extract 160$+ from your wallet. This is analogous to IDIOT lights as effective gauge replacements.
7) Improved heat pump tech to support lower effective operating temperatures (or the use of a less efficient but more effective heating element in the heater core - I believe BMW does this). As a corollary, and as I understand it, the heat pump cools the traction battery in warm weather situations. Why not have the heat pump warm the traction battery (even if only to -10C) in extreme cold through the same mechanism as the cabin heating. Now the traction battery can be warmed while charging saving the battery and insuring that the car is usable. Assuming that this is correct, I wonder if this is just a software change?
8) Display fuel/power efficiency in Litres Equivalent. My fuel efficiency is great (< 1l/100km) but that does not account for the use of the traction battery.
9) Vented seats - great in the heat of the summer and if the car can pre-warm in the winter with vented heated seats - Win!
10) Better placement of the fuel/power door and tailgate controls (e.g. beside the ceiling controls).
11) Improved aided steering control in ACC. Compared to my other car, this car feels a bit like a pin ball between the lane markings
12) Remote Start ICE - In cold weather, with the current heat pump situation, we know the car will not warm effectively without the ICE running.
13) I don't know if there are privacy concerns - but I would like to see the location of my car at ALL times regardless of proximity to my phone. I've had a couple cars stolen in the past. It would be nice to see the app "ALERT" me to my car being driven away from my phone. I know it would be dangerous to stop the car remotely, but at least I could inform the authorities of the location and movement while happening.
14) For all cars I would like to see some standardization of the location/operation of things like Wipers, Hi/Lo Beam. I undergo negative reenforcement between my cars having to remember where each car does its magic.
15) Ability - though the app - to set up my own dash display parameters. E.g. tach, oil pressure, traction temp, 12V battery voltage.... It's all there, just not displayed.
16) Allow me to program my own low speed noise - I want to use the "Jetsons car" noise - This could make for an interesting world. Ok Ok, not a great idea.

Great ideas. Our 2023 PHEV has a little Velcro strap that does a decent job of locking the seat down so it doesn’t flop on bumps. Did you want something more substantial?

 

[tyleriv]

Great ideas. Our 2023 PHEV has a little Velcro strap that does a decent job of locking the seat down so it doesn’t flop on bumps. Did you want something more substantial?

I've never used my 3rd row seat. Perhaps the velcro strap is there and not attached? I'll give that a look - see ; Thanks for the information.

 

[tyleriv]

I can't say a bad word about the dealership i went through (in australia), they were better than i was expecting, but i've heard some real horror stories about dealerships in canada. australia does have some pretty strong consumer protections laws though so that may have something to do with it. the main problem is that the outlander PHEV (recent models) are NOT cold weather vehicles, they're amazing in hot climates but should not be sold anywhere it snows.

as for Mitsubishi Motors Company, i'm mostly satisfied with the engineering of the 2024, my only real gripe engineering wise is the burnt clutch smell when using self-charge mode. i'm deeply dissapointed with MMC's lack of transparency regarding information about the vehicle, and seriously wondering if the software/interface was designed by someone who has never laid eyes on a car or computer in their lives.

i thThe ink PHEVs in their current form will be outcompeted by "EVs with petrol generators" when manufacturers start adding the option of a 20-40kw petrol generator that fits in the "frunk" and can charge the batteries while you drive, 80% customers seem to want basically just an EV with the option of petrol in emergencies, but current PHEVs are designed as "hybrid cars you can charge at home" that run best when you use petrol and electric simultaneously, and i think thats one of the big causes of customer dissatisfaction.

the biggest thing holding back EVs is the fact that manufacturers are too stupid to put a 30kw petrol generator in the front of every vehicle, and governments are too stupid to let them, because "muh emissions" even though those same governments can't be bothered fixing the grid to handle the increased demand that EV adoption will bring. the efficiency gain from having direct mechanical drive at above 70km/h doesn't justify the increased mechanical complexity or cost, especially for the 80% of customers who want to run pure electric 99% of the time. for the same cost, they could just switch to a 60kwh battery and solve pretty much all the issues, because by having bigger batteries they could use cheaper batteries because they wouldn't need such a high C rating (you need a C rating of 5 to pull 100kw from a 20kwh battery, a 60kwh battery only needs a C rating of 2 to pull 100kw), it'd also solve the battery life issues caused by fast charging and self-charging.

Your comment regarding the future of the EV is well stated. I purchased the Outlander PHEV as it basically matches your description, but unfortunately, without a long range battery (and appropriate cold weather support). The soon to be released RAM truck, Ramcharger, sounds like it fits this bill. It is reported to be a pure serial hybrid with a significant range (230km, 70kWh) on the battery system, a charging system (130kW constant) supported by a normally asperated V6 Pentastar and about 700HP of electric motor power available for all sorts of sins. For 90% of my use, I'll be able to run this truck without visiting a service station (including charging stations - 1100km combined battery/gas). When I want to go on a road trip, the ICE is there to support my needs without concerns for recharging locations, and the charge wait time. The truck will also support emergency power to your home during power outages. With more homes going Solar, I wonder if this truck would support a "mobile holding charge" like the tesla battery wall, when the sun goes down. So a big win in all this would be the PHEV that has a significant battery capacity, that can be charged by your home's solar panels and then provide night time power to your home when the panels are off-line. When things really go wrong, there is still an ICE that can charge the battery and keep your home lit (130kW generator). That would really start to save some cash and make the car multi-purposed. It's all there; just lacking a few support components and a bit of thought.

 

[Rudra]

I would also add to this a single setting for "Trailer Mode" so that I don't have to run through a half dozen menus turning off all the settings Mitsubishi recommends like rear object detection etc. that are incompatible with the trailer, then doing it again to turn them back on once the trailer is detached.

I’ve only used my trailer twice and I don’t recall there being any issue.. my guess is that the car knows when the trailer lights are connected.
My tow-bar is Mitsubishi dealer fitted.

 

[Jedinsky]

Your comment regarding the future of the EV is well stated. I purchased the Outlander PHEV as it basically matches your description, but unfortunately, without a long range battery (and appropriate cold weather support). The soon to be released RAM truck, Ramcharger, sounds like it fits this bill. It is reported to be a pure serial hybrid with a significant range (230km, 70kWh) on the battery system, a charging system (130kW constant) supported by a normally asperated V6 Pentastar and about 700HP of electric motor power available for all sorts of sins. For 90% of my use, I'll be able to run this truck without visiting a service station (including charging stations - 1100km combined battery/gas). When I want to go on a road trip, the ICE is there to support my needs without concerns for recharging locations, and the charge wait time. The truck will also support emergency power to your home during power outages. With more homes going Solar, I wonder if this truck would support a "mobile holding charge" like the tesla battery wall, when the sun goes down. So a big win in all this would be the PHEV that has a significant battery capacity, that can be charged by your home's solar panels and then provide night time power to your home when the panels are off-line. When things really go wrong, there is still an ICE that can charge the battery and keep your home lit (130kW generator). That would really start to save some cash and make the car multi-purposed. It's all there; just lacking a few support components and a bit of thought.

sounds amazing, if somewhat out of my price range.

 

[tropicpine]

I frequently tow a small trailer that I cannot see out the back window. It would be great if I could manually turn on the rear view camera while driving to keep an eye on my trailer.

 

[Mangala Ranasinghe]

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV does not come with a spare wheel whch is essential. They must at least offer us a hitch attaced spare wheel or a wheel attached to the back door like Mitsubishi Pajero. I wonder whether they mention about the missing spare wheel when they advertise. I found this issue after purchasing my vehicle.

 

[Jedinsky]

I frequently tow a small trailer that I cannot see out the back window. It would be great if I could manually turn on the rear view camera while driving to keep an eye on my trailer.

to be fair that option should be in literally every vehicle that has a rear view camera, it'd be so easy for manufacturers to implement, it'd cost them nothing, people would love it, and it'd improve road safety.

 

[Shocker]

I would like a proper Mitsubishi dealership in Scotland
Arnold shark who took over the servicing of Mitsubishi when they moved out of the uk made a total
Mess
Of the
Last
Service and said the didn’t have any dealer spec software so couldnt check out
The fault in the car
They just serviced and done a mot and handed the car back with the fault
On it

 

[ryanyoder]

Larger EV battery for like 75 miles of range and more power from the AC inverter preferably 20 amps at least to support minimal home backup. I'd also like no no third row seat.

 

[4havnfun]

When it’s cold (<0C) I’d like for it to be smart enough to idle the engine for heat and use the battery more. Battery temperature is usually high enough for it to be used but the engine still revs to provide all the power. The net result is much higher fuel consumption than required, especially when only going on local trips.

 

[Jedinsky]

When it’s cold (<0C) I’d like for it to be smart enough to idle the engine for heat and use the battery more. Battery temperature is usually high enough for it to be used but the engine still revs to provide all the power. The net result is much higher fuel consumption than required, especially when only going on local trips.

better engine management is hopefully something that can be modded in within the next few years, but i doubt mitusbishi will be the ones to do it.

being able to tell the engine what RPM to idle at would be amazing, being able to idle it at 1000RPM with minimal electricity generation would be great for cold weather fuel efficiency, as it'd use the bare minimum of fuel to generate just enough heat to warm the battery, enabling "mostly electric" driving in cold weather.

being able to set the idle RPM would also be great for responsiveness in power mode. the braking force on the generator rotor is dependent on the electrical resistance in the circuit, mechanically there is nothing stopping the engine from being able to idle 2000, 3000, or even 4000 RPM, and it'd give a lightning fast response time for acceleration in power mode.

its extremely annoying when you want a fast takeoff but the engine has decided to turn off, because you can't tell the engine "the traffic light will be green in 4 seconds just stay on *********", and trying a fast takeoff in charge mode is a guaranteed way to spend the next hour inhaling that wierd burnt clutch smell while wondering if you've done permanent damage to the car.

having the engine turn off just before a launch is intensely annoying, "full power" takes around two seconds to hit peak RPM. if mitsubishi changed it to let the car idle at 4000 for a "launch mode" they could advertise "0-100km/hr in 6 seconds".

another thing mitsubishi could (and should) do is change the way the "charge" part of the dial works, to show how much energy is getting fed into the battery regardless of whether that power is coming from regen braking or from the generator. at the moment it only shows regen braking which is kind of pointless. being able to see how much "charge" is going into the battery when running the engine on the highway would be a great feature.

 

[yardbird]

Spare tire, bigger ICE engine, mine is only 2 liters and crawl like a snail. more EV kilowatts, at least 25 kilowatts. voice control & self parking features, massage chairs ......

 

[kernelpanic]

Not everyone's going to agree with this one (but I'll write it anyhow).

Keep the overall width of the vehicle to 182 cm or under.
- This is the width of the 2014 to 2021 models.
Parking spaces are narrow (at least in Europe) and don't seem to be growing in phase with vehicle widths !