A recent survey of drivers of the UK’s most popular plug-in hybrid, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, reveals that around two-thirds (68 per cent ) plug their car in every single day and 90 per cent charge their vehicles at least two to three times per week. This certainly runs counter to the myth that plug-in hybrids are only driven by people looking to lower their tax bills and are never actually plugged in.
The survey, undertaken by Kadence International, a global market research company, on behalf of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, also showed that 97 per cent of Outlander PHEV owners normally charge their vehicles at home with 23 per cent using public charging points.
Again, this refutes the misconception that PHEVs are preventing electric vehicles from accessing charging units. Only 10 per cent of Outlander PHEV owners agree that they always plug in and recharge at motorway services on longer journeys, suggesting that most use their combined EV/petrol power units for longer journeys instead.
Mitsubishi says because the Outlander PHEV is the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, with around 45,000 on UK roads, and the survey sample was chosen entirely at random from the Outlander PHEV customer base, the results are a genuinely realistic reflection of how these vehicles are used.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles not only have an immediate environmental impact, they help familiarise consumers with electric vehicles, providing the perfect segue to a pure electric future. The survey also reveals that 25 per cent of Outlander PHEV owners would consider a pure electric vehicle for their potential next or future purchase.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV WLTP emissions and economy figures are 46g/km CO2 and 139mpg respectively and its WLTP pure electric range is 28 electric miles (WLTP ).
