A Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid electric four-wheel drive SUV, entered and managed by the Two & Four Motor Sports rally team supported by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), successfully completed the FIA-certified Asia Cross Country Rally 2014 (AXCR) in its T1E class (electric vehicle class).
The team completed the rally in 19 hours 17 minutes and 12 seconds for the total driving distance of 1986km under rough courses, winning the first place in the class and 14th place overall.
The Outlander PHEV, having completed this rally for two years in row proved its outstanding levels of reliability, durability and all-terrain performance as well as proved the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle powertrain is durable even under severe road conditions.
Rally Car Overview
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rally car used the competition-modified suspension from last year’s race car as well as raised ground clearance with the drive battery placed higher for improved off-road performance. The car’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) integrated vehicle dynamics control system was tuned for competition use to provide better traction. Other modifications included the fitting of a roll cage and underbody skid plate, the use of lighter engine hood, rear gate and interior parts, and additional sealing and a snorkel for water crossings. Apart from these changes, the car competed using the almost the same PHEV powertrain and mechanical parts as the standard production model.
Result Breakdown by Race Leg
The Outlander PHEV won its class for the second year in a row. Overall standing by leg:
Prologue Run (August 9): 11th place overall in the Prologue Run time trials from Pattaya, Thailand.
Leg One (August 10): First day of full competition, 13th place overall.
Leg Two (August 11): Battling Thailand’s deep ruts and muddy and boggy trails the Outlander PHEV finished 12th overall.
Leg Three (August 12): Race moves from Thailand to Cambodia, towards the Angkor Wat World Heritage site. This leg featured comparatively flatter terrain where the Outlander PHEV could take advantage of the high torque of its electric motors and S-AWC which led to a step up to 11th place overall.
Leg Four (August 13): Progress to 9th place overall in this leg which started from Angkor Wat.
Leg Five (August 14): This gruelling leg was the longest and featured deep ruts. Lack of high ground clearance forced the Outlander PHEV to avoid much of the second half of the course, falling to 15th place overall.
Leg Six (August 15): The last leg starting from Phnom Penh featured a flat high-speed course, finishing 2ndin the leg and recovering to finish 14th overall.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
