Actually, one would have to ask the opposite question: Which other plug-in hybrid may pull more?
The 1.5 tons of trailer load are, you have to be honest, of course, manageable. However, she finds her explanation in the system architecture of the PHEV Outlanders. In the market he is absolutely unique with his three hearts. No other plug-in hybrid can be serial, parallel or purely electric. However, the concentration on the maximum efficiency leads to a restriction and this comes into play with the trailer load.
75 kW - the generator cannot generate more electrical energy. As soon as the battery is empty, the petrol engine must drive the generator in the lower speed range and then switch directly to the axle from 64 km / h.
Various letters from readers have already dealt with this topic and their tenor is basically the same: “Why only 1.5 tons”? The Outlander Plug-in Hybrid still drives confidently with a trailer. Yes. Yes but. Because if approval is granted for a trailer load, it must work under all conceivable conditions.
And the “worst case” is driving uphill without a battery charge and with frequent starting moments below 64 km/h. The weight of the Outlander PHEV and the trailer then push the 75 kW generator to the limits of what is possible.
What do the finely distributable torques of the electric motors help when the energy supply is running low? Mitsubishi had to find a compromise here. On the one hand, a maximum range was desired purely electrically, here the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is still top notch even 4 years after market entry, on the other hand, one wanted to use the traction advantage of the all-wheel drive also for trailer operation. The restriction to 1.5 tons leads to a restriction - on the other hand, the continuous trailer operation is not the world of the Outlander either.
Compromises - it just doesn't work without. The question is: which compromise is right for me? If you take a look around the highway during the holiday season, you will see many Outlander PHEV with trailers traveling south. So it seems to be easy. And yes, especially with charged batteries, the Outlander PHEV easily pulls more than the 1.5 tons out of the dirt. We have received letters from readers in which PHEV owners have only raved about the capabilities of their Outlanders.
However, when it comes to approval and, above all, the guarantee, then a car manufacturer must compromise. The 1.5 tons towing capacity, quite officially, are such a compromise.