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back to article Mitsubishi to build range-extended hybrid

Mitsubishi has confirmed plans to launch a range-extended hybrid at the end of 2010. Mitsubishi_CX_concept Will Mitsubishi's range-extended hybrid be based on the cX concept? The company told Register Hardware that the vehicle will be a small SUV, akin to Nissan's Qashqai or Toyota's RAV4. This could suggest a car very …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    OPEC conspiracy

    I'm starting to wonder if OPEC have kidapped the lead body designers of all EV-developing car makers and replaced them with brainwashed lookalikes.

    It's the only explanation for all these prototypes being quite so fugly, and left fundamentally wanting in the aerodynamics dept. ;)

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  2. dannyboy
    Thumb Down

    Aerodynamic?

    Not exactly the most aerodynamic design? Why make an extended range SUV? They are heavy and have a high drag coefficient so not ideal for getting the most out of the electric engine!

    I would have thought the Lancer would have been a better starting point.

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  3. mmiied

    petrol electric power

    seames sencible to me saves on complex drive switching mechnisium

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  4. petebog
    Headmaster

    Aerodynamic gripes...

    Not really that important for a relatively low speed low powered city runaround... whereas space for the kids is.

    Aerodynamic drag only really starts to become a major factor at much higher speeds than 30mph (or ~8mph if you drive in London).

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  5. My New Handle
    WTF?

    ... and why 2012??

    What is so magical about 2012 that every single manufacturer seems to be aiming for it? What about 2009, 2010 and 2011.

    Its not as if no one knew this tech was coming/wanted/needed. Or is OPEC really involved? Do we really have to hit Peak Oil before the manufacturers put this stuff out on the road?

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  6. matt 83
    Go

    Why SUV

    I'd guess that they need the space in an SUV body to fit all the extra stuff that comes with having two power sources in the car AND still have cabin space left over for passengers and luggage. (after all the Prious isn't exactly a small car, it's a lot longer than a Rav4 etc which is important for parking)

    Also being a hybrid is only really going to benefit city driving where speeds are usually < 30MPH so aerodynamics aren't so critical.

    Personally I think this approach of being primarily electric with a petrol/diesel generator has got to be the way forward. Surly the generator and engine can be heavily tuned to run efficiently at a specific RPM rather than having to change revs as it would if the engine was coupled to the wheels like it is in a current hybrid.

    Perhaps they could even add some kind of intelligent cruise control for motorway use that linked to the satnav to give you the highest cruising speed given the charge in the batteries/recharge rate Vs what hills your approaching.

    Finally it allows them to sell a few "green" SUVs to rehabilitate the general SUV market for their very not green cousins

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Can some genius clue me in?

    I want to know how long any little leccy car is going to run when it's -32C or +32C outside? Maybe you live in some "temperate" climate where it's delightful all year long, but not around here...

    Yeah, i'm talking about heating and cooling in addition to just running?

    Headlights?

    wipers?

    fan?

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  8. Perpetual Cyclist

    Wheel at each corner?

    But is it a conventional transmission 4X4 with one motor, or a rational design with one electric motor in each wheel? The latter would be mechanically much simpler and more efficient. The Prius is horribly compromised and over complicated.

    If they can sell this for £15000 after subsidies, and return 100mpg average consumption, then I would buy one.

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  9. Martin 6 Silver badge

    @Aerodynamic?

    The market for these is second cars, that means soccer mom taking the kids to school and doing the shopping. The car makers have just spent 10years and a squillion $ convincing them that driving anything other than an SUV will cause their children to be squashed and eaten by paedos.

    It also means that the price/performance only has to compare with small SUVs which isn't exactly difficult

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  10. Clive Harris

    Prius transmission

    >>The Prius is horribly compromised and over complicated.<<

    Sounds like someone doesn't have a clue how the Prius transmission actually works.

    Do a Google on "Hybrid Synergy" if you want to get the details, but it's actually extremely simple and efficient - far simpler than the simplest manual gearbox in fact. That's probably what accounts for its legendary reliability and durability.

    It has no clutch or torque converter. The gears are constantly meshed, so there are no brake bands, synchromesh or any other gear-changing mechanism. In fact there's no actual gearbox as such, unless you regard a differential as being a gearbox (in which case a normal car has two gear boxes).

    The hybrid synergy transmission just consists of a simple differential mechanism surrounded by some very clever electronics. It an example of brilliant engineering - simple but very effective, with very little to go wrong. It combines the efficiency of a mechanical gearbox at high speeds with the high torque and continuously variable characteristics of an electric transmission at low speeds.

    Also, can we stop the nonsense about battery durability. Toyota have just retrospectively increased the battery warranty to 8 years/160000KM. (I had a letter from them about it last week). How many other major car components have a warranty like that?

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  11. DRendar

    UUUUUGGGGGGLLLLLYYYYYY

    'nuff said

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