DS Automobiles move forward with hybrids and PHEV vehicles with a new car each year until 2025

• Racing in Formula E is accelerating the development of DS road cars, confirms Eric Apode, DS Product and Development Director
• There will be a new DS vehicle launched every year going forward – all with electrified versions (hybrid or all-electric) included in the range
• By 2025, it is anticipated that more than a third of DS vehicles sold will be hybrid or all-electric

DS is accelerating the development of electrified cars. Starting with DS 7 CROSSBACK, it will be releasing a new model every year, all with an electrified version (hybrid or all-electric). DS Automobiles is competing in Formula E - a valuable test-bed for gaining experience and accelerated development. The recent city-located ePrix races held in Monaco, Paris and Berlin, are followed by those in New York and Montreal providing further opportunities to show the advancing technologies that are being tested and evaluated for future production models, with three specific projects already in their advanced stages. 

Eric Apode, DS Product and Development director, commented; “DS is entering the electrified vehicles scene. By 2025, more than a third of DS vehicles sold will be hybrid or all-electric. The performance models will be provided by the hybrid versions and the first in the series is DS 7 CROSSBACK E-Tense - the DS vision of hybrid power with 300hp and a 60km electric range”. 

Xavier Mestelan Pinon, DS Performance director, explained, “A competition series involving all-electric race cars obviously makes an ideal testing environment for our forthcoming technologies. With each successive race or test-session, we’re accelerating this development and every new component to achieve a better understanding of how to optimise the electric motor drivetrain and the management of energy in particular with cooling in mind.” 

Extended electric range for production models

The connection between the 140mph top speed of the DSV-02 (DS Virgin 2nd gen) race car and the 60km* electric range of DS 7 CROSSBACK E-Tense is that both depend on the techniques used for controlling the energy supplied by the battery and the management strategies of its deployment. This became very clear to the DS Performance teams from the outset of their Formula E involvement and this invaluable data has advanced the know-how of the DS engineering team working on the road car’s petrol-electric hybrid project. 

Electric range of 60km* with the DS 7 CROSSBACK Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

The petrol PHEV system available on the new SUV from DS, and arriving in spring 2019, will achieve a range of 60km* in all-electric mode, with no compromise to the car’s dynamic performance. Supplementing the 200hp THP (Turbo High Pressure) petrol engine, DS 7 CROSSBACK E-Tense carries two 80kW electric motors to drive each axle, and is capable of deploying a total deployable power output of 300hp with four-wheel-drive. 

Sophisticated electric architecture

Energy loss is the challenge of every automotive engineering team in their constant quest for ultimate efficiency and operational optimisation. All Formula E runners feature the same chassis, front axle system and battery pack, so what makes the difference is the gearbox transmission and the electric motor, and the way the energy is supplied, controlled and cooled - the fruit of each team’s own individual ingenuity. 

In their year-long work on developing the DSV-02, the team of ten engineers and the accompanying host of technicians identified a number of ways for optimising the operating efficiency of the electric motor and transmission system, and the most-suitable aspects of which are being developed for the road-going petrol-electric PHEV drivetrain of the forthcoming DS 7 CROSSBACK E-tense. 

Optimum transmission-motor coupling for an intelligent hybrid drivetrain on DS 7 CROSSBACK

DS 7 CROSSBACK is fitted with the new Efficient Automatic Transmission with 8-speeds (EAT8) located transversely between the petrol-fuelled internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric motor. DS experience and know-how is harnessing the inputs from PSA Group and DS Performance R&D teams to ensure the transmission performance operates with optimised efficiency and performance with the 80kW electric motor. 

*Measured on the MVEG certification cycle.

Electric power capabilities for the future of motoring efficiency

The purpose of the DS Performance engineering team is to make the relevant technologies accessible for the optimised development of DS vehicles. For example, the voltage used on electric vehicles; today’s production vehicles use a voltage of around 400V whereas Formula E race cars use 700V. 

“One of the challenges of the DS Performance team is to fully master component durability, for the power controller in particular at 700V, while ensuring it delivers better operational efficiencies” commented Xavier Mestelan Pinon. Eric Apode added: “Once we have answered all the questions regarding 700V operation, we can go ahead and raise the voltage used on production models, to bring even greater efficiency and potentially longer driving ranges.” 

The future starts right here, with DS E-Tense

DS E-Tense is much more than a concept car, because it points the way to the DS future, in terms of design and technology. With its two electric motors developing 402hp to the rear wheels, this spectacularly beautiful coupé delivers torque of 516Nm from start-up and boasts a potential top speed of 155mph. 

Apart from possessing exceptional driving sensations, its lithium-ion battery provides a capability to travel a potential range distance of 167 miles and it is also perfectly suited to everyday motoring applications, as recently demonstrated. 

As well as bringing know-how in electric drive technology, and accelerating the development of simulation tools (within the R&D Department) that can be carried over to production models, DS involvement in Formula E racing provides a valuable learning experience guiding engineers to optimum design choices that can be rapidly applied onto DS production road vehicles. DS 7 CROSSBACK, the new SUV by DS, will from spring 2019 also be available in a new petrol-electric hybrid (PHEV) version: DS 7 CROSSBACK E-Tense.

USA SALES MAY - MITSUBISHI - The aging model range is still selling very well.

• Outlander leads the way with May sales up 15.2 percent
• Mirage Family sales up 11.6 percent over last May
• Calendar year-to-date sales are 46,951; up 6.9 percent

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) reported May 2017 sales of 9,429 an increase of 4.5 percent over May 2016. The brand's sales leader is once again the popular three-row CUV Outlander with sales of 3,382, an increase of 15.2 percent over last May. The spirited Mirage and Mirage G4 sales were up 11.6 percent with total sales of 2,342.

The brand continues its momentum by reporting monthly sales increases. Total 2017 calendar-year sales are up 6.9 percent compared to last year at this time with 46,951 units sold.

	May		YTD
	2017	2016	2017	2016
i‐MiEV	0	2	6	16
Mirage	2342	2098	11948	11632
Lancer	896	929	6949	7406
Outlander Sport	2809	3060	12361	13372
Outlander	3382	2936	15687	11485
Total	9429	9025	46951	43911

USA SALES MARCH - MITSUBISHI - The sales just keep on growing for the brand.

• Mitsubishi exceeds 100,000 FY16 sales for the first time since 2007
• Fourth consecutive fiscal year of sales growth
• Outlander posts best March sales ever; Outlander March sales increase 96.4 percent over last year
• Mirage G4 post its best sales month ever
• Total March 2017 sales up 6.2 percent over March 2016

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) reported March 2017 sales of 11,766 an increase of 6.2 percent over March 2016. With a strong final month, Mitsubishi's fiscal year 2016 sales closed with over 100,000 sales for the first time since 2007. 

Leading the way for the brand in March was the popular three-row CUV Outlander, which posted its best March sales month ever with 4,235, an increase of 96.4 percent over March 2016.

In just four years, Mitsubishi's volume growth has increased 75 percent and sales per dealer/per month have almost doubled in that same time period.

"Eclipsing 100,000 fiscal-year sales is a very important milestone for Mitsubishi and truly signals growth with our brand and the strengthening of our dealer body," said Don Swearingen, executive vice president and COO, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. "And the future looks even brighter. Mitsubishi's solid CUV lineup of Outlander and Outlander Sport gets even stronger with the recently announced Eclipse Cross slated to hit dealerships in early 2018."

Total 2017 calendar-year sales are up 15.6 percent compared to last year at this time with 29,147 units sold.

	March		YTD
	2017	2016	2017	2016
i‐MiEV	3	1	4	8
Mirage	3324	4113	7470	6232
Lancer	1528	1934	5221	5454
Outlander Sport	2676	2874	6864	7698
Outlander	4235	2156	9588	5820
Total	11766	11078	29147	25212

Mitsubishi in the UK has announced an to the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Juro.

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK has announced a series of revisions to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Juro – the high specification version of the nation’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle. 

Available to order now and priced from £33,499 after the Plug-in Car Grant, the new Juro benefits from an enhanced specification that heightens convenience, comfort and safety. 

Building on the high levels of standard equipment in the outgoing Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Juro, the 2017 version is now equipped with an Electronic Parking Brake with Brake Auto Hold, EV Priority Mode; Smartphone Link Display Audio with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; DAB and a reversing camera. 

When the new EV switch is activated, EV Priority Mode allows the driver to operate the vehicle in EV mode without the engine starting, provided there is sufficient charge in the batteries, ensuring that the driver enjoys optimum efficiency with the minimum of fuss. When turned on, the new Brake Auto Hold function works to hold the vehicle in traffic or on an incline the same way a handbrake would, letting the driver release the footbrake. 

Connectivity and convenience is enhanced with the addition of the Smartphone Link Display Audio system which supports Apple CarPlay^*1, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone^*1 in the car. The driver can use Siri^*1 or the Smartphone Link Display Audio’s touch screen to receive directions optimised for traffic conditions, make and receive calls, access text messages, and listen to music, all in a way that allows them to stay focused on the road. Smartphone Link Display Audio also supports the Android Auto^TM*2 which provides voice-controlled operation of Google Maps^TM,^*2 Google Play^TM*2 music and other apps. Additional features include Bluetooth for hands-free calls and music streaming, AM/FM and DAB radio and the display of specific Outlander PHEV functions. 

Other highlights of the Juro’s impressive standard specification include cruise control, 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, the Mitsubishi PHEV app, which allows pre-heating of the interior, and dual-zone climate control.  

The Juro’s upgrades complement the comprehensive 2017 model year revisions to all Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV variants. Incorporating improvements to the drivetrain, chassis and on-board technology, the new Outlander PHEV offers an improved class-leading pure electric range of 33 miles, CO₂ emissions of 41g/km – the lowest of any all-wheel drive vehicle – and an average weighted fuel consumption of 166 mpg. Its regenerative braking technology has also been enhanced for 2017 and its rapid charging time to 80% has been reduced to 25 minutes. The Outlander PHEV’s appearance is made even more distinctive with the availability of a new Cool Silver colour. 

Like other Outlander PHEV variants, the Juro is backed by a five year, 62,500-mile warranty. For an additional £500, customers can purchase the Mitsubishi Service Plan, which covers scheduled maintenance for the first three years. 

The first two months of the years see's internal sales from Mitsubishi dealers Outlander PHEW Sales at record levels.

Strong demand for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has seen Mitsubishi Motors in the UK notch up two consecutive months of record sales of pre-owned internal fleet vehicles.

Of the 717 pre-owned vehicles that Mitsubishi dealers have bought directly from the manufacturer’s UK division since the start of the year, nearly 45 per cent were the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, highlighting the unwavering popularity of the UK’s best-selling Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicle.

Such is the demand for pre-owned examples of the versatile all-wheel drive SUV, that 2017 YTD sales figures of used internal fleet vehicles represent an increase of over 43 per cent compared to the same period in 2016.

In addition to more and more motorists appreciating the significant benefits of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the sales growth has been driven by Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s focus on making its pre-owned vehicles even more appealing to retail customers, as well as the continued expansion of its dealer network.

Mitsubishi has recently introduced an enhanced, industry-leading Approved Used Programme and a strong 5.9% APR PCP* offer that allows drivers to own a pre-owned 2016 Outlander PHEV GX4H for £299 per month, plus deposit and final payment.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV offers the best pure EV range of any of its direct competitors, has the lowest emissions of any all-wheel drive vehicle and remains amongst the lowest-emitting vehicles in the plug-in hybrid segment. It is also the only AWD vehicle to utilise electric power to drive both front and rear wheels for superior traction both on and off the road even in pure electric mode. It is also the only Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle to offer rapid charging (up to 80% in approximately 25 minutes) and five-mode adjustable regenerative braking, which is controlled via the steering wheel paddles to further enhance the driving experience.

USA SALES FEBRUARY - MITSUBISHI - Massive growth seems to not worry the aging product line here.

• Sales up 38.8 percent over last February
• Best February for the brand since 2005
• Outlander volume up 72.8 percent; records best February sales since 2003 with 3,665 vehicles sold
• Combined Mirage and Mirage G4 sales up 145 percent over last February

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) reported February 2017 sales of 10,924 an increase of 38.8 percent over February 2016. 

Mitsubishi's flagship CUV lead the way with total sales of 3,665, an increase of 72.8 percent over last year and the best February sales month in 14 years (2003). 

The spirited and fuel efficient Mirage and Mirage G4 posted combined sales of 2,835 representing an increase of 145 percent over February 2016. 

For the calendar year, Mitsubishi sales are up 23 percent when compared to the same period last year.

	February		YTD
	2017	2016	2017	2016
i‐MiEV	1	5	1	7
Mirage	2835	1156	4146	2119
Lancer	2225	1997	3693	3520
Outlander Sport	2198	2591	4188	4824
Outlander	3665	2121	5353	3664
Total	10924	7870	17381	14134