Canada’s top plug-in hybrid manufacturer, Mitsubishi Motors, announced a $2,500 dealer incentive program across Canada on the model year 2018 Outlander PHEV.

Mitsubishi Motors’ dealer incentive program was revealed following the federal government’s announcement that incentives will be granted on plug-in hybrids, which will come into effect on May 1, 2019. The program will not only be available across Canada but also in Quebec and B.C., where there are already existing provincial incentives.

“Mitsubishi Motors applauds the federal government for recognizing the role plug-in hybrids play in growing EV adoption. Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has proven to be an important vehicle for the electrified vehicle segment as the first affordable plug-in hybrid SUV in a market where the appetite for SUVs shows no signs of slowing down,” said Juyu Jeon, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada. “Our research shows Outlander PHEV has brought new customers into the EV and PHEV category who had not considered an electrified vehicle before and that is game-changing.”

The Outlander PHEV is the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV. Following its launch in 2013, the vehicle has sold more than 200,000 units across the globe. Its Canadian debut in 2018 caused the plug-in hybrid segment to increase from 9,692 vehicles sold in 2017 to 21,603 sold in 2018. In fact, the Outlander PHEV is the first plug-in hybrid in the country to reach 5,000 sales in one calendar year, accounting for one in four plug-in hybrids sold in 2018.

“[Canadian research has shown that] plug-in hybrids greatly expand the number of car buyers who buy Zero Emission Vehicles. Plug-in hybrid owners can use their battery for most-to-all of their city driving and can still fuel up at Canada’s roughly-12,000 gas stations for road trips. This is important in North America because, unlike Europe, we have a road trip culture. We also prefer larger vehicles, for which plug-in hybrids remain a more affordable option than battery-electric vehicles.” said Matthew Klippenstein, CanadaEVsales.com.

Some features that the Outlander PHEV boasts are:

• World’s most technically-advanced 4WD plug-in hybrid;
• Canada’s only plug-in hybrid SUV to offer 100% electric 4WD capability;
• Canada’s only plug-in hybrid SUV with DC Fast Charging capability, providing an 80% charge in under 30 minutes;
• 1,500 lb towing capacity;
• 1,500-Watt Power Inverter (power supply); and
• Canada’s only plug-in hybrid with a 10-year or 160,000 km powertrain warranty, 10-year/160,000 km lithium-ion battery warranty and five-year or 100,000 km comprehensive warranty.