In a Mitsubishi forum, it was alleged that once the Outlander PHEV's battery is empty, it's just a front-wheel drive SUV. The explanation was partly logical:
The drive train front / rear is not connected - i.e. there is no cardan shaft. So if the batteries are completely empty, this Outlander is only a 2WD with front-wheel drive.
I am surprised that a friend can not answer, because the dealers were informed by press release or could read this in the information material. Quote from: link
The explanation may seem logical, but it is still wrong. To explain more clearly, once again the powertrain of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in detail:
Using the Outlander PHEV four-wheel drive? Always possible!
What the smart minds at Mitsubishi in Japan have come up with is nothing less than the most logical and consistent plug-in hybrid powertrain currently sold for an all-wheel drive vehicle. Mitsubishi consistently relies on the Outlander's efficient electric motors. There are 82 hp and 137 Nm available on the front axle and another 82 hp but 195 Nm on the rear axle. This “power distribution” alone makes it clear that the idea of all-wheel drive is not a “pro forma” solution at Mitsubishi.
The two electric motors draw their energy from a 12 kWh battery pack, whose installation position is anchored low and centrally in the floor of the Mitsubishi Outlander. 12 kWh is the amount of energy that can be supplied to the electric motors from the pack. On the other hand, however, there is “only” 60 kilowatts that the battery pack can send as power to the motors. However, the two electric motors alone produce 60 kW. At maximum acceleration, the 121 hp petrol engine switches on. As long as the PHEV is not traveling faster than 65 km/h, it can have its power converted directly into electricity via a generator placed directly next to the gasoline engine. This generator can produce a maximum of 70 kW of electrical power. In purely mathematical terms, 130 kW of electrical power is available - this would - just as purely mathematically - supply both electric motors. But these are paper assets. The 70 kW maximum output of the generator (comparable to a bicycle dynamo) are only “auxiliary”.
It always makes more sense not to convert the gasoline engine's power into electricity, but directly into propulsion. Therefore, the petrol engine switches directly to the front axle from 65 km/h. This gear level corresponds approximately to fifth gear. But even then, not all of the “power” of the gasoline engine is needed – the electricity generator always works and charges the battery.
Empty battery?
Controlling the battery is much more complex than you might initially imagine. It's not like a toy car: charge the battery, drive it, empty it, recharge it again. The PHEV continually feeds electricity from recuperation and into the batteries via the 70 kW generator. And that is also necessary. Since the gasoline engine can only take over the drive directly from 65 km/h, there is always a “remaining charge” in the batteries. With the PHEV Outlander, starting is ALWAYS done electrically. And the PHEV always varies the power of the electric motors.
Even if the PHEV does not have a rigid mechanical connection between the front and rear axles, logically connected, both electric motors draw power from the battery. The lock-key can be used to define the equal distribution of drive power.
In our long-term test we were able to try out the “theory” in practice. Both in the snow and in the mountains, on gravel, the PHEV has proven that even if the battery is theoretically “empty” (the remaining mileage on the display is set to “0”), both axles of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV are powered.
More about the “serial and parallel” hybrid drive of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV! (click)
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