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Mitsubishi Motors: Keeping The Lights On

Autosphere » Fleet » Mitsubishi Motors: Keeping The Lights On
Mitsubishi Motors | Keeping The Lights On. Credit: Jack Kazmierski

Hydro One walks the talk by investing in a growing number of Mitsubishi Outlanders Plug-in Hybrid SUVs.

Electricity is one of those luxuries of modern life that we often take for granted until there’s a power outage. Then suddenly, we’re quickly reminded just how important a well-maintained electric grid is, and how much all of us need electricity to power our day-to-day activities.

This fact is never lost on the team at Hydro One, and these professionals take the responsibility to keep everyone’s light on very seriously. Hydro One is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution service provider. They distribute electricity to almost 1.5 million residential and business customers, and they’re responsible for approximately 75% of the geographic area of Ontario. They also manage and maintain the electricity distribution lines that run throughout the province.

With so much at stake, Hydro One needs a fleet of vehicles they can rely on to get the job done. The organization currently has over 9,500 vehicles in their fleet, including roughly 400 SUVs—a growing number of which are Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

“Our relationship with Hydro One started in 2023 when they purchased 29 2023 Outlander PHEVs along with 40 2024 Outlander ES PHEVs,” says Luc Grenier, Fleet / VIP Manager, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada.

According to Anne-Marie Reilly, Green Feet Strategy Manager at Hydro One, the move to PHEVs was strategic. “Hydro One started buying the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander in 2023 to replace our older internal combustion engine SUVs and sedans,” she says.

With government mandates on the horizon, and with a keen understanding of the importance of green initiatives, it only made sense for Hydro One to pivot towards a more eco-friendly fleet option.

“Hydro One is well-positioned to enable the electrification of Ontario, and that means we have to walk the talk when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, including electrifying our fleet,” adds Chris Iveson, Director of Fleet Services for Hydro One.

The decision to add Outlander PHEVs to the Hydro One fleet dovetails nicely with the organization’s strategic goals and initiatives. “Our goal is to have 50% of our SUVs and sedans electrified by 2025,” Iveson adds. “By 2030, we’re aiming for 100%. The Outlander PHEVs were selected as ultra-low emission green vehicles that meet our needs with minimal upfitting. They offer a versatile all-wheel drive SUV at a competitive cost that supports our work program, and will continue to allow us to deliver for our customers and all Ontarians.”

Mitsubishi Motors Canada President & CEO, Kenji Harada with one of many Outlander PHEVs from the Hydro One fleet. Credit: Jack Kazmierski

Lots of driving

Hydro One services a huge territory, which means that their Mitsubishi Outlanders spend a lot of time on the road. Fortunately, the Outlanders are a hit with Hydro One staff.

“Our employees love driving the Outlanders,” Reilly says. “In fact, we have a waiting list of folks who would love to receive one, once their current vehicles are retired. Employees enjoy the quiet drive in EV mode, and the ease of charging, without having to be mindful of range, like you might be with a full EV vehicle.”

Not only are the Outlanders comfortable and enjoyable to drive, they’re also dependable and fit for duty. “From a reliability perspective we have very little to share—and that’s a great news story,” Reilly adds.

Ticking all the boxes

It would seem that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ticks all the boxes for Hydro One. “We’re thrilled with our partnership with Mitsubishi,” Iveson says. “We’ll continue to purchase any products that help us deliver our work program, support our net-zero emissions targets and help us achieve our sustainability goals as cost-effectively as we can. This puts us in a better position to demonstrate our value to deliver for our customers and all Ontarians.”

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada is equally committed to helping organizations like Hydro One and others, achieve their goals by providing reliable and capable vehicles that deliver on the promise of cleaner motoring. “Every client is very important to us, from individuals to corporations,” concludes Mitsubishi’s Luc Grenier. “In fact, our fleet team is growing to ensure that all of our clients receive the best service possible.”

(L-R) Anne-Marie Reilly, Hydro One; Luc Grenier, Mitsubishi Motors; Eli Kipper, Mitsubishi Motors; Chris Iveson, Hydro One; Kenji Harada, Mitsubishi Motors. Credit: Jack Kazmierski

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: A Closer Look

The award-winning Outlander PHEV (recognized by AJAC as the Best Mid-Size Utility Vehicle in Canada in 2023) is Canada’s best-selling Plug-in Hybrid SUV. It boasts an all-electric range 61 km from a 350-volt, 20kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This power source is mounted below the floor and between the front and rear wheels, providing a low centre of gravity, without sacrificing ground clearance.

Fully-charged, the Outlander PHEV offers up to 687 km of combined electric and gasoline range on a single charge and a single tank of fuel. It also packs a punch, with a total of 248 horsepower and 332 lb/ft of torque on tap, when the engine and electric motor work together.

All Outlander PHEV models are equipped with a 2.4L gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine, coupled to a twin AC synchronous permanent magnetic motor, and a 20 kWh Lithium-ion battery. Combined fuel economy is excellent: 3.6 Le / 100 km.

Focus on safety

Mitsubishi Motors takes safety very seriously, which is why all Outlander models come with an extensive list of standard safety and driver assistance features and technologies. They include an array of airbags, including a side curtain for both front and rear passengers, and a front centre airbag that prevents the driver and front passenger from hitting one another during a collision.

A tire pressure monitoring system is also standard, and includes a tire fill notification feature, which alerts the driver when the tire pressure is dangerously low.

Also standard on all models are safety systems like lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation, rear automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, driver attention alert, and much more.

2025 model year

For 2025, the Outlander PHEV starts at $48, 698 and is available in a total of six trims, including the ES, SE, LE, SEL, GT and GT Premium. All come equipped with Mitsubishi Motors’ twin-motor Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, which uses the front motor to drive the front wheels (the gasoline engine assists when needed), and a stand-alone rear-mounted motor to drive the rear axle.

More than just an all-wheel-drive system, S-AWC dramatically improves the handling and stability of the Outlander by continuously and seamlessly controlling vehicle movements during accelerating, cornering and braking. It’s ideal for the kind of challenging road conditions Hydro One staff have to deal with on a regular basis, including off-road conditions and snow-covered roads.

The S-AWC system continuously captures and monitors acceleration, cornering and braking data, and it reacts instantly while considering all the effects on the vehicle. The goal of the S-AWC system is simple: to keep the vehicle moving in a straight line and on a predictable path, without creating unnecessary stress for the driver and occupants.

The Outlander PHEV comes with a generous comprehensive five years/100,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty, along with 10 years/160,000 km powertrain and electric drive battery coverage. Roadside assistance is included for five years/unlimited km.

 

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