Driving beyond

By Alvin Uy November 11,2015
MITSUBISHI Motors Corp. president and COO Tetsuro Aikawa briefly narrated the 50-year development history of the company’s electric vehicles during the press briefing.

MITSUBISHI Motors Corp. president and COO Tetsuro Aikawa briefly narrated the 50-year development history of the company’s electric vehicles during the press briefing.

ASIDE from the world premiere of Mitsubishi’s eX concept compact crossover at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show, the Mitsubishi Motors pavilion also showcased its state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology with the Outlander PHEV.

 

While the eX is still future-oriented, the Outlander PHEV SUV is already a production vehicle.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi celebrated half a century of research and development in EV (electric vehicle) technologies. The Outlander PHEV exhibit area included a display of an Outlander PHEV chassis with a simply laid-out guide of the technical features of the company’s PHEV and twin-motor 4WD systems.

 

In addition, Mitsubishi set up a diorama of a virtual community using its V2X system which supplies electric power from the Outlander PHEV’s drive battery to power electrical appliances. V2X stands for “vehicle to X,” with the “X” standing for a house, a building or even a community. Its V2X technology showcase visualizes the versatility and possibilities of electric-powered vehicles.

 

50 years of EVs

 

During the opening ceremony, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) president and COO Tetsuro Aikawa briefly narrated Mitsubishi’s electric vehicle milestones and developments in the last 50 years.

 

Among the highlights of its EV-themed display during the motor show included a Baja Portalegre 500 Outlander PHEV cross-country rally car and a custom-wrapped i-MiEV commemorating half a century of clean energy vehicles.

 

Aside from the EVs, a number of models featuring other eco-technologies such as models powered by clean diesel engines, minicars and other eco-friendly vehicles were on display.

 

THE OUTLANDER PHEV has a capacity to power 1,500 watts  of small household appliances.

THE OUTLANDER PHEV has a capacity to power 1,500 watts of small household appliances.

The Tokyo Motor Show also had a separate floor in the massive Tokyo Big Sight convention center for its Smart Mobility City 2015 exhibits, where a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was used to explain how an Outlander PHEV can be linked to a V2H (vehicle-to-home) system to reproduce the flow of energy in a home that uses an EV or PHEV.

 

In the Smart Mobility City pavilion, Mitsubishi also highlighted its advanced driver assistance systems on an Outlander PHEV test car currently being developed jointly by MMC and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. for automatic driving. This PHEV test car allowed visitors to experience riding a driverless vehicle. Among its other intelligent features are a driverless traffic jam navigation and automated remote parking capabilities.

 

New comfort levels

 

The fully restyled Outlander PHEV features Mitsubishi’s new Dynamic Shield design language with a distinctive new front face. It comes with new levels of comfort and refinement; thanks to its generous legroom and luxurious amenities, it promises a quiet ride and an even better driving pleasure.

 

The interior is finished with high-quality materials, and the rear seatbacks can be folded to flexibly meet the market’s changing luggage and storage needs.

 

Mitsubishi’s innovative PHEV system with twin motor 4WD and S-AWC (Super All-Wheel Control) technology offers the solid stability of an advanced 4WD system, the dynamic driving performance and an incredibly quiet ride, thanks to separately mounted electric motors at the front and rear axles.

 

The platform delivers incredibly responsive performance, ensuring excellent driving stability and intuitive, linear handling. These intelligent control units contribute to heightened energy efficiency and optimal motor control with instant maximum torque that outperforms larger 3-liter gasoline engines.

 

THE OUTLANDER PHEV offers the solid stability of an advanced 4WD system and dynamic driving performance.

THE OUTLANDER PHEV offers the solid stability of an advanced 4WD system and dynamic driving performance.

For added superior handling, the lithium-ion battery is stored under the floor to lower the center of gravity and allow a bigger storage area in the cabin.

 

Power on-the-tap or on-the-go

 

The Outlander PHEV’s hybrid mode allows travel at even greater distances with low emissions and an impressive 1.8-liter per 100 kilometers combined fuel efficiency. While driving the vehicle, electricity is generated for long stretches and gives the confidence to travel to far-flung destinations.

 

At home, one can simply connect the PHEV to a power outlet to charge the drive battery. It only takes about five hours with the onboard charger and charging cable. A quick charge takes as little as 30 minutes to achieve 80 percent power capacity at any commercial charging facility.

 

As an added refinement, one can set the regenerative braking strength to any of six settings for performance or a smoother linear response.

 

During the exhibit, Mitsubishi recreated the flow of energy in a typical modern eco-friendly household that was using an EV. Energy is collected from solar panels during the day, and low-cost energy is stored in the battery of the Outlander PHEV at night.

 

Households will be able to use electricity more economically and effectively by using the V2H (vehicle-to-home) system, thereby allowing electric vehicles to connect to homes and provide energy throughout the home.

 

Wataru Matsuoka, assistant manager of the engineering strategy department of its e-mobility business office, said: “In recent years, V2H has gained popularity as a way for the environmentally-conscious and as a way to prepare for natural disasters. The vehicles are able to provide electricity to homes during power outages, and store lower-cost energy during the night to allow for load shifting. In addition, unreliable natural energy such as solar energy can be used more reliably by combining it with batteries.”

 

Matsuoka further stated that V2H is necessary to use renewable energy to its full extent. There are additional benefits by using extensions of V2H such as V2B (vehicle-to-building) and V2C (vehicle-to-community) systems.

 

“Even in Germany, where solar energy is more common, there is a lot of interest in V2H technology. Using energy from parked vehicles is a big area for expansion, and our company is planning to be heavily involved in this area,” he said.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.