Mitsubishi Philippines to Introduce Outlander PHEV and Set to Install EV Charging Stations at Dealerships

Five Mitsubishi dealerships have just signed on to become the first in the Philippines to offer the charging of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) through a new showroom concept called, “Dendo Drive Station.”

In addition to standard showroom functions such as new vehicle sales and aftersales services, the Dendo Drive Station concept features solar power system and vehicle to home (V2H) equipment. This system allows the charging of EVs and PHEVs at the showroom as well supplying electricity from EVs and PHEVs back to the showroom.

The five dealerships are: Union Motors Corporation, Fast Autoworld Philippine Corporation, SFM Sales Corporation, Motorplaza Incorporation, and Mindanao Integrated Commercial Enterprises, Inc.

This is inline with Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC)’s plan to introduce the Outlander PHEV within 2020.

The Outlander PHEV combines a front-mounted 2.0-liter engine with two other electric motors: one in the front and one at the back. It can on three unique modes: EV Drive, Series Hybrid, and Parallel Hybrid Mode.

Since it opened the first one in Tokyo in 2016, MMC has opened 79 Dendo Drive Station showrooms have been opened in Japan. The first one in the Philippines will open towards the end of 2020.

“Similar to Japan, the Philippines is the country with many natural disasters,” said Osamu Masuko, MMC’s chairman of the board, at the Dealer Conference held today. “I believe that this Dendo Drive Station will contribute to enhancing the society resilience and local economic development.”

The Mitsubishi Outlander and ASX Will Finally Be Replaced in 2020

As far as automobiles go, Mitsubishi’s pair of crossovers—the Outlander and ASX has been one of the longest serving ones. In its current form, the compact Outlander’s been around since 2013, while for the ASX, it’s even longer—first seeing action in 2009. Thankfully, the wait for their replacement will soon be over as the Japanese carmaker’s confirmed that both will be replaced by 2020.

In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Mitsubishi Europe CEO Bernard Loire says that the all-new, fourth-generation Outlander will be unveiled globally by the second half of 2020 (as a 2021 model). The all-new Outlander will be built on “an alliance platform”—the likely candidate being the Nissan X-Trail’s.

Moreover, another “smaller SUV” will be coming at the same time. Technically, Loire didn’t specifically mention what the upcoming smaller SUV is, but a replacement to the ASX is most likely given the current model is extremely long in the tooth.

Loire, who joined Mitsubishi from Nissan, says both will be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

During the same interview, Loire says plans are in place to phase out diesel powertrains in Europe, excluding on the L200/Strada due to low overall demand. The diesel-powered ASX has already been killed off, and he says the newly-launched Eclipse Cross diesel will be nixed by the end of 2020.

Source: Automotive News Europe