17 August

I like to share vehicle technology, because I’m convinced people are not really aware yet of the revolution underway. Mitsubishi’s new Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) is a case in point. It has an 84km full-electric range, which for town driving will probably get you 2-3 weeks of driving on a single charge (and cost you a few dollars of electricty). But it also has the petrol engine, like a standard hybrid, for long trips if you’re not going to be near a charger. But it gets more interesting. It will, like other hybrids, charge itself as you drive along on longer trips, both with an onboard generator and also with regenerative braking (using the force of braking to generate electricity, trains do this too). You can modify just how much regenerative braking you do, if you set it to max you’ll get ‘single-pedal’ driving, not really needing to brake as taking your foot off the pedal will stop the car. This is actually a very pleasurable way to drive, and gives you maximum charging to boot. The car is is also V2H and V2G enabled (Vechicle to House and Vehicle to Grid). This means it can be used as a battery at home to power your house and also store excess solar energy you might produce. Its battery is twice the size of most home solar batteries, and much more reliable, so powering the home is a doddle for it. It also means you have access to full 240V power if you’re camping. It’s AWD and a fantastic off-roader, with a much more refined drive system than most 4WDs. To charge it you only need a standard power point (takes about 9 hours, so easily done overnight, at off-peak rates if you want). On a public fast-charger it takes 38 minutes. Have it serviced by Mitsubishi and they’ll also give you a 10 year/200,000km warranty. Engineers rock.