California regulations delay Outlander PHEV even further

Release Date: January 2014
Battery Pack Size: 12 kWh
Electric Range: 37.4 miles (on Japan's test cycle)
MPGe: 157.6 MPGe (on Japan's test cycle)
Visit the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Forum
2013 outlander plugin hybrid

Mitsubishi Motors Corp says that new U.S. regulations, in California specifically, are delaying the launch of the Outlander plug-in hybrid until late 2015 or early 2016. This announcement comes after last October’s news that battery supply constrictions would delay the North American release of the Outlander PHEV from 2014 to 2015.

The new regulation requires plug-in hybrid vehicles to come equipped with a battery-monitoring unit that would conduct onboard analysis of the lithium ion battery capacity and output. The device would alert the driver to possible battery degradation. California requests all new plug-in hybrids be equipped with the technology as they think battery deterioration might affect emissions.

Accommodating the change will push the U.S. launch of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV into the last quarter of 2015, or even the first quarter of 2016.

Even still, Mitsubishi plans a big sales push and increase in battery production in an effort to sell up to 48,000 PHEVs worldwide this year in markets including Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand (where it went on sale in April).

For more information on the Outlander PHEV, and to hear from owners, check out our Outlander PHEV Forum

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