Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid drivers favour EV mode
New research from Mitsubishi seeks to dispel myths about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
One of the most frequently raised about the benefits of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology is whether consumers bother to charge their cars and drive on battery power, when they have the convenience of a combustion engine at their disposal.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia has sought to answer that question and dispel some other myths about how drivers use its PHEV vehicles, by commissioning independent research provider Platform One to survey its PHEV owners.
Platform One surveyed a sample of about 800 Mitsubishi PHEV owners, as well as a range of PHEV intenders, augmenting the insights with additional ARC market data to capture a wide view of the market’s evolution.
The results, according to Mitsubishi, showed that new Outlander PHEV owners use their vehicle in EV mode 81% of the time, while Eclipse Cross PHEV owners use EV mode 75% of the time.
These figures contrast with often-cited European data, stating an EV use of only 45–49%, for private PHEV owners.
Additional insights gleaned from the research include the fact most Mitsubishi PHEV owners charge daily (50% Outlander, 58% Eclipse Cross) and make use of home charging (97% and 96%, respectively).
The research indicates 85% of Outlander PHEV owners and 89% of Eclipse Cross owners charge at home using a domestic socket, and that owners are using their vehicles predominantly as short-range EVs.
When asked their top five reasons for choosing a PHEV, both Outlander and Eclipse Cross owners cited reduced running costs as their primary motivation.
Mitsubishi’s current-generation Outlander PHEV was introduced in 2022 and offers up to 84km of electric range and a combined real-world range exceeding 800km.
Mitsubishi says the Outlander PHEV variant makes up an estimated 20% of total Outlander sales, while the smaller Eclipse Cross PHEV has an even higher rate of PHEV adoption, at around 27% of total sales.
The combined figures lead Mitsubishi to claim a dominant 43% of the Australian PHEV new car market, which according to industry statistician VFACTS stands at 13,076 vehicles as at August.
This figure trails BEVs sales of 57,701 vehicles, and hybrid sales of 116,316 over the same period.
However, the trajectory of PHEVs is up 127% compared with the same time last year, followed by hybrids which are up 96%, with BEVs up only 1.4%.
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