A recent survey of drivers of the UK’s most popular Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, reveals that around two thirds (68%) plug their car in every single day and 90% charge their vehicles at least two to three times per week. This runs counter to the myth that plug-in hybrids are only driven by people looking to lower their tax bills and are never actually plugged in.

The survey, undertaken by Kadence International, a global market research company, on behalf of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, also showed that 97% of Outlander PHEV owners normally charge their vehicles at home with 23% using public charging points. Again, this refutes the misconception that PHEVs are preventing electric vehicles from accessing charging units. Only 10% of Outlander PHEV owners agree that they always plug in and recharge at motorway services, on longer journeys, suggesting that most use their combined EV/petrol power units for longer journeys instead.

Because the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, with around 45,000 on UK roads, and the survey sample was chosen entirely at random from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV customer base, the results are a genuinely realistic reflection of how these vehicles are used.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles not only have an immediate environmental impact, they help familiarise consumers with electric vehicles, providing the perfect segue to a pure electric future. The survey also reveals that 25% of Outlander PHEV owners would consider a pure electric vehicle for their potential next or future purchase.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV WLTP emissions and economy figures are 46g/km CO2 and 139mpg respectively and its WLTP pure electric range is 28 electric miles (WLTP).

SOURCE: Mitsubishi Motors