[Mike S.]

My 2022 Outlander PHEV seems to want to stay in Gasoline Engine mode whenever I perform a single hard acceleration, as needed when entering a highway. Even in EV mode and B3 setting the car will often stay in Gasoline power mode even after I stop for a traffic light. Since I bought the car to minimize my gasoline useage, I wonder if there is any way to over-ride the gasoline engine and get it back into EV mode quickly after the need for auxiliary Gasoline power is over? Seems to me the engineers (both mechanical and software) have butchered this. Driving in EV mode should force the car to behave this way, but it clearly isn't. Is there something else I can do to get it back into EV mode quicker. I have even tried opening a door when I am stopped at a traffic light, and that seems to work sometimes, but not always. Any thoughts here folks?

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

When EV mode is selected via the large button the car will stay in EV mode until battery level is at the perceived minimum. But if you accelerate hard the engine will kick in to give you maximum acclleration. Maybe this is what is happening for you?

Dont accelerate so hard if you dont have to. If you ask for maximum throttle of course the car will give you the maximum it can. You might need it to get out of an emergency situation..

If you drive the car like an ICE that is what you will get. Drive it as an EV, trying to reserve your energy in the battery will give you different results.

 

[Mike S.]

When EV mode is selected via the large button the car will stay in EV mode until battery level is at the perceived minimum. But if you accelerate hard the engine will kick in to give you maximum acclleration. Maybe this is what is happening for you?

Dont accelerate so hard if you dont have to. If you ask for maximum throttle of course the car will give you the maximum it can. You might need it to get out of an emergency situation..

If you drive the car like an ICE that is what you will get. Drive it as an EV, trying to reserve your energy in the battery will give you different results.

Yes, the car only goes into gasoline drive after a hard acceleration. Unfortunately our roads here in the Denver CO area are a mix of city streets and state highways, with an occasional interstate highway thrown in for added fun. Interstate speed limit is 75, with many cars doing over 80. Even the state highways have a 55 limit with plenty of cars running 70+. Thus, when you attempt to enter one of these speedways you are going to have to accelerate hard enough to throw the car into gasoline drive. My question is how to get the car to shut down the gasoline drive after it is done with its hard acceleration. I have found the only predictable way is to shut the engine down and restart it. That is bizzare, but I have had the engine stay in gasoline drive for 5-7 miles of highway driving including red lights where I have come to a complete stop, and the car refuses to go back to electric drive. So my question is not why the gasoline power, I am fine with the extra kick the gas engine provides when required. My question is how to get the car to shut down the electric engine when it is no longer needed and the electric drive is all that is really required. This is also occurring just after we filed the gas tank with 5-7 gallons of gasoline, so this is not needed to insure we burn 4 gallons every 3 months. It seems to be a glitch in the software, and is VERY annoying on a brand new PHEV.

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

So when you are moving along just hit the EV mode button, and it will go back to EV mode straight away.

It shouldnt need to be running for 5-7 miles afterwards, unless you are in a cold climate. Then the engine may run to get the heater warm to raise the battery temperature

 

[Mike S.]

So when you are moving along just hit the EV mode button, and it will go back to EV mode straight away.

It shouldnt need to be running for 5-7 miles afterwards, unless you are in a cold climate. Then the engine may run to get the heater warm to raise the battery temperature

DibbyDibbyDJ:

Thanks. That was what I was looking for. I will give this a try, although I try to hit EV as soon as I start the automobile. But sometimes I miss it. In any case, I hope this works for us. And Yes, I have seen that the gas engine operates when it is very cold and the car has been sitting for a while. I get that when the battery is cold
it cannot pass as much energy as when it is warm. Yesterday we had been driving for a couple of miles without any issues, and when I had to accelerate, the car went into gasoline mode, and didn't quit till I turned the engine off.

 

[Mike S.]

I have also experienced this bug in the EV setting. I have found if I don't hit the EV button immediately after starting, and then accelerate up to highway speed, the gas engine will engage, and then I have to drive 5-7 miles before the EV mode will kick in. I have found if I start EV mode immediately after starting the car, then most of the time it will not allow the gas engine to kick in, even if I accelerate very hard--the car just does not accelerate as hard as it would if the gas engine kicked in, I have not found any action that will force a moving car from gasoline mode to EV mode no matter what I try. I have found that this appears somewhat related to battery temperature and seems to be a much bigger problem with a cold battery not so much when the battery is up to normal operating temperature. I do wish Mitsubishi would offer a software fix for this issue. I do believe it is an issue, and I do not believe that many owners of the PHEV are pleased with the decision the Mitsubishi engineers have made, In any case, this situation should be much better explained in the Operating Manual so folks know that this is how the system is designed and not a major bug.

 

[redfoxy]

This bug/issue has been proven: Review: 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV showcases the brand’s best
"In a couple instances when the engine kicked on for a passing move, the system didn’t switch back to EV Mode right away. Kotaru Honda, the Outlander PHEV’s chief vehicle engineer, explained that when the gas engine starts the first time, it has to run for a minute or so to heat the catalyst to a running temperature. Then it will revert back to EV Mode. This is a common issue with PHEVs; once you start the engine it's on for a while. "

Now I'm wondering if pressing "EV button" and selecting EV mode again would make the Outlander PHEV back to pure EV mode and shut off the engine?

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

If the engine starts for any reason, then you should expect it to at least have to warm up to its normal temperature. If it didnt there is a risk of flooding with fuel and consequent Catalytic convertor damage.

modifying your driving habits might help you acheive the EV experience you are after

 

[peter.shephard]

A near neighbor of mine is on his 2nd version of Outlander PHEV's and he gave me this tip for driving in pure EV mode which I have tested and it works especially the hard acceleration bit which I sometimes need getting onto the motorway in the morning. The trick is in the sequence. If you want to drive in pure EV mode, when you initially start the car DON'T put your foot on the brake as well. Just push start when the display has lit up and everything push the EV button so it shows EV mode on the dash, then put you foot on the brake and push start again, and the car will stay in EV mode until the battery gets very low. This really does work. Even with a full battery I could never go over Transmission Gully without the engine kicking in up the 2 very steep hills. After starting the car this way I was able to travel from Tawa to Paraparaumu in full EV mode. Also hard acceleration onto the motorway did not kick the engine in... It is a bit of a pain as you have to do this every time, but it does work well...