What I would change about my PHEV after 12,000km

[mikepotts64]

Moving from a European designed car (2019 Skoda Superb 206TSI) to a 2020 Outlander GSR PHEV is quite a driver transition. There is much to like about the GSR variant but here are the things I wish I could change about the Outlander PHEV in no particular order; I hope Mitsubishi is reading this

- Provide a complimentary full battery charge with each scheduled service (I have a 93km drive home normally charged at work)
- Allow driver settings to be saved so one doesn't have to perform a 'flight check' before take off each drive, eg, I usually select B5, Auto Hill Hold, Eco Mode for my default drive. My Skoda used to 'remember' last settings including mode as a vehicle settings option
- Add Lane Keep instead of Lane Departure Warning (just another noise to process and therefore usually turned off)
- Add at least one closer separation option for Adaptive Cruise Control. The 2 second gap on the current minimum setting is too inviting for Australian Drivers. Or is the FLR too slow to accommodate a closer response time?
- Allow Adaptive Cruise Control on EV drive mode.
- Allow Regenerative Braking to be manually changed with paddles or gear lever whilst Adaptive Cruise Control is on.
- Allow autonomous braking to apply hill hold when coming to a stop following traffic instead of beeping to apply the footbrake. Accelerate to re-initiate drive.
- Add the PHEV Remote Management App to all models (mostly for remote cooling or heating the vehicle while charging). Can't be that expensive to add Wifi when you can buy a sub $100 touch screen tablet with it included.
- Allow Auto windows to be used with accessory mode rather than requiring the ignition turned on. Additionally, do what Skoda has done for years, allow them to be controlled from the remote key. (long hold lock and unlock) And rain sensor auto closes them.
- Add tyre pressure sensors of some kind (either pressure or rotation monitoring)

Any other wish list items I've neglected to mention?
Happy PHEVing

 

[greendwarf]

For those of back here in steerage - I have a 2014 "base" model Gx3h without these "whistles & bells" - most of your list is gobbledygook :lol:

However, are you seriously suggesting you would be willing to wait several hours for your car to be charged before you could collect it? Or perhaps you expect your dealer to invest in the huge sums (paid for by you) needed for a rapid charger, which is just going to wear out your battery faster? :idea:

 

[kpetrov]

Agree with greendwarf regarding charging, beside that Normal mode is perfectly fine for Cruise Control use.
Normal mode will use the battery until depleted before switching to ICE anyway.

The most important thing I would change and already did is an real EV mode were there is no ICE kicking in on short trips in cold weather. But that's a bit dangerous from engine warranty, legal and every-day inexperienced user point of view so I understand the reasoning.

Differential lock definitely.

 

[mikepotts64]

Good comments, My dealership has my car for the day when I get a service. (7:30am-5pm) 15Amp charge rate via Type 1 connector around 4 hours.

 

[mikepotts64]

Duplicate post removed

 

[Trex]

Gday fellow Aussie,

As a person that owns 2 of these Phevs (wife drive newest, son drives oldest in my business, I get to drive a diesel ute :roll: )
if you jump in with either of them they just drive them with only the only consideration of making it stay in EV mode. Son also plays with the paddles though.

Nearly everything you mention can be done with the brake pedal and accelerator or managing the air conditioner differently.

As far as I know only the Aspire has electric heating so no app needed for that. But the Aspire has to have a wi-fi module (for the app) so the extra cost I suppose.

On both my Aspire models adaptive cruise control works while driving in EV mode .

From memory at speed we are supposed to keep a approximately 3 sec gap for safety to the vehicle in front. I thought that is what it approximately was on the Phev .

What I want is the new 2022 model Phev coming soon. 43% more power, 60% greater range, better looking too I think. Yep can't wait to test it out.

Still won't get to drive it much if I trade my old one in on it. :roll:

Manual diesel ute (truck :lol: ) looks like you are stuck with me. I wonder when Mitsubishi bring out the Triton Phev ute? :idea:

Regards Trex.

 

[greendwarf]

Good comments. My dealership has my car for the day when I get a service (about 3 per year). 15Amp type 1 charge rate about 4 hours to full charge.

Not sure what you are saying here - that the dealer has the time to charge it, in theory, or that you currently get a "free" charge when serviced?

Don't forget they can't charge it whilst working on it or do you envisage a workshop and outside area strung dangerously with several cars hooked up to charging sockets. In 50+ years of motoring I've never heard of a workshop topping up your tank , so why should they do it for EV owners?

I'm afraid your suggestion is completely unrealistic. :idea:

 

[AndyInOz]

Hmm...

Customer service clearly varies a lot.

My previous (petrol) car always came back from a service washed, vacuumed, and with a full tank. (The cost of the petrol was just another item on the list of things replaced, but the valet service was never charged separately).

My local Mitsubishi dealer has fully charged my PHEV a couple of times when they've had it for a whole day.

There are a number of parking spots outside the service bay with charging points.
I'd originally assumed that was so they could charge their own PHEVs on the lot, but they may also charge PHEVs when they need to perform a traction battery check.
(Or just for goodwill).

 

[greendwarf]

A courtesy valet is merely designed to ensure no complaints about the grease monkeys leaving the car grubby and done by a very low paid employee, whereas the OP seems to want a free charge up, which would have to be paid for by customers - especially a 2022 energy prices

 

[littlescrote]

Energy prices would have to be pretty high for a maximum charge of 10 units to cost anywhere near what a valet would cost, even with a low paid employee doing it.

 

[AndyInOz]

Yeah...

Doesn't it cost less that $2 to fill up the battery?

 

[mikepotts64]

Depends on the power source.
A full charge for my 13.8kWh battery is 10kWh. (presuming the remainder is kept in reserve so the lights don't go out)
Commercial electricity rates vary a lot depending on state, location and contract (buying power).
If the cost is from the solar feed-in-tariff from the roof is used for charging PHEVs instead of sending the solar to Grid, as little as 5c/kWh in NSW atm.

 

[AndyInOz]

Even at 50 cents per kwh you're only looking at $5 for a full charge, so a trivial cost for a dealer compared to your $800 service.

 

[greendwarf]

Oh dear - there speaks the consumer. There is no such thing as a trivial cost in business. :ugeek:

 

[AndyInOz]

Well given that the dealer can charge for it, and most likely make a profit.

Surely it's a lost opportunity for the dealer rather than a cost.

If I was the dealer, my whole dealership would be covered in solar panels, and I'd be making a profit on that too.

Sadly, in this case, the dealership is not. (I just checked the satellite image)

 

[greendwarf]

Andy with respect, I suspect that you havn't any experience in business , whereas I have over 20 years as a management accountant with a multi-million pound one, so I can understand your layman thinking.

However, what you are suggesting is financial nonsense - not least because if the dealer charges for the energy at a profit then the customer won't pay. They could make the investment you describe but that is not their core business - in the same way they COULD sell groceries, offer to cut your hair, walk your dog and employ some girls to give you a dubious massage whilst you wait. That is not the way businesses work - in the same way that few, if any, car dealers still sell petrol on the same site!

 

[AndyInOz]

Again, you appear to be talking nonsense.

In Australia, it is routine for a dealer to put petrol in the car during the service and charge the customer for that petrol.

I would suggest that it's rare for a dealer to not have a petrol pump.

Country dealerships often also sell petrol from the forecourt.

As I said, some places understand how to do customer service and some don't.

 

[greendwarf]

Which illustrates my point exactly, Andy. What you describe are service stations that evolved into dealerships i.e . they were already selling fuel and had the infrastructure - long gone in much of the developed world. So a few minutes adding petrol (for which you overcharge the customer?) is very different to spending money on additional equipment which you might never use or is tied up for hours on end.

What you call "customer service" is merely enlightened self interest and is about gaining competitive advantage, which doesn't really exist with the dealership model, especially for a niche product in a large geographically spread out country like Australia. Topping up the battery is not a service in competition with anyone except the customer and unless the dealer can provide it cheaper than at home, why would anyone pay for it?

It might be possible to justify the investment once the majority of cars are EV but we are long way off that - and certainly not in my remaining lifetime. :lol: :lol:

 

[kpetrov]

I would prefer a dealership that invest in what they are suppose to be doing and provide better service for the vehicle instead of doing some charging gimmicks in order to lure or retain customers.

 

[mikepotts64]

It's been interesting observing the discussion.
The email from my dealership which predated this post when I sent him the Australian News article on the recently approved Bi-directional charger.
(I'm not advocating the bi-directional charger for dealerships, more likely a 3kWh Type1)

'Might be a good idea for me to get a charging setup here at the dealership
Please I'm all ears if you had any other ideas as well.
I'm hoping to make our dealer the #1 PHEV mits dealer in nsw' (name withheld)

Reference Article; https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-02-14/electric-vehicle-first-ev-chargers-v2g-v2h-to-arrive-australia/100811130