2018 plug in hybrid electric vehicle comparison

On dry pavement, even in the tightest hairpins, the motor can’t quite muster enough might to aid rotation. Dynamically, the promise of the hybrid system and its higher-torque rear motor never fully pans out. Turn in sharply and, just as with other Outlander models, the PHEV lists ominously. In general, this is a reasonably able handler, yet you won’t really want to approach its limits. Stops from 70 mph took a reasonable 178 feet, although any abrupt braking is accompanied by dramatic nosedive. And 100 mph came after 26.8 seconds-almost double the time it took the Volvo XC60 T8 plug-in. That’s 0.1 second quicker than the last four-cylinder, AWD Outlander we tested but 1.6 seconds slower than a V-6 AWD Outlander and nearly a second behind the Toyota RAV4 hybrid. Our U.S.-spec test vehicle accelerated to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds. That hair-trigger electric responsiveness is something of a red herring, because the Outlander PHEV isn’t quick by any means. The two propulsion motors also double up for regenerative braking.

That’s not quite all, though: Mainly at higher cruising speeds, if it makes sense for efficiency, a hydraulic clutch will also engage the engine-at a tall, fixed gear ratio-while working one or both of the electric motors. A 2.0-liter inline-four making 117 horsepower and 137 lb-ft is mostly employed to power a big 70-kW generator, which feeds power to the main battery and the motors. Two large 80-hp electric motors-the one at the front wheels produces 101 lb-ft of torque, and the one at the rear produces 144 lb-ft-lay the groundwork for an effective all-wheel-drive system. at $35,590-for those who pay enough in taxes to claim the maximum $5836 federal EV tax credit, the effective price is just $29,754. In the Netherlands, for instance, the Outlander PHEV sells strongly at a base price equivalent to about $44,000. It’s also the best-selling crossover with a plug in the world, according to Mitsubishi-yes, better than the Tesla Model X and better than anything in China. Mitsubishi has sold 100,000 Outlander PHEVs in Europe alone, and over the past three years it has been the top-selling plug-in hybrid in that market.

2018 plug in hybrid electric vehicle comparison