Mitsubishi is investing heavily in the plug-in hybrid craze with reports coming out that their 2009 Tokyo Motor Show concept Outlander Sport plug-in hybrid will make its way to North American markets by 2013 and one unwanted side-effect would be the arrival of an Evo XI that you’d have to plug into the wall. However, there are some appealing cars coming as well, among them a PHEV version of the ASX that has been rumored for a while, and now a similarly powered Outlander.
This model’s electrified powertrain will reportedly combine the 1.6-liter gasoline engine with the all-important hybrid hardware comprising o lithium-ion battery pack, as reported by Ward’s Auto.
If the rumors will confirm and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport plug-in hybrid does arrive in the United States by 2013, it will be Mitsubishi’s second electrified offering with the 2012 i-MiEV (or i, as it’s know in the States) hatchback already on sale.
The Japanese car maker doesn’t plan on stopping the EV rollout then either, with plans for eight total electric/hybrid vehicles to launch globally before 2015. Furthermore, Mitsubishi anticipates that its global production of plug-in vehicles will soar to 27,000 units per year by 2015.
“Every new car we develop will also be able to be driven by electricity,” Helmut Bauer, Mitsubishi’s German spokesman stated last year. This idea should be beneficially for the company’s development costs. If Mitsubishi can get an easy drop-in EV drivetrain, it would be a nice option to have on any car.
Source: Autoguide
