Mitsubishi Concept CUV Comes With a Question

by Steph Willems

Published: September 18th, 2019

mitsubishi concept cuv comes with a question

Either those fan-type objects are meant to exhaust vape clouds from the cabin (pods?), or the upcoming concept vehicle from Mitsubishi will need clearance from the FAA to visit grandma’s house. Are they speakers? Will drivers of this wildly unlikely production candidate create impromptu block parties wherever they go?

Mitsubishi isn’t saying. All we know is that the concept, bound for next month’s Tokyo Motor Show, is a plug-in hybrid, not unlike the Outlander PHEV. Interestingly, Mitsubishi opted to spell out the PHEV acronym, making the vehicle seem more futuristic than it actually is.

“Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.” It’s a term that’s been around for years, but it still boggles when one reads the “electric vehicle” part. No wonder consumers are still confused about electrification and the abilities of various hybrid types.

That complaint aside, Mitsubishi’s creation, like past concepts, isn’t likely to ever see the glare of a showroom. At least not as pictured. Described as a small plug-in SUV with a downsized powertrain and electric 4WD system, the concept is an exercise to show off Mitsu’s plug-in and all-wheel prowess while the company awaits real-world products people can actually buy. Aside from the Eclipse Cross, it’s been lean times at Mitsubishi for years.

The automaker’s entry into the troubled Renault-Nissan Alliance, while opening the door to cash-saving platform and technology sharing, means a longer wait for those future rides. The upside is that when it does happen, buyers might be able to expect a broader range of products.

We’ll know more about Mitsubishi’s concept, and perhaps even some future plans, when the Tokyo show kicks off in late October.

[Image: Mitsubishi]

#ConceptVehicles #Concepts #Mitsubishi #PHEVs #Plug-in #SUVs #TokyoMotorShow

Steph Willems

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Statikboy on Sep 19, 2019

Thought it was a center console. Just fancy cupholders, right?

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ToolGuy on Sep 20, 2019

I vote for diesel-locomotive-style roof-mounted cooling fans.

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Jalop1991 In a manner similar to PHEV being the correct answer, I declare RPVs to be the correct answer here.We're doing it with certain aircraft; why not with cars on the ground, using hardware and tools like Telsa's "FSD" or GM's "SuperCruise" as the base?Take the local Uber driver out of the car, and put him in a professional centralized environment from where he drives me around. The system and the individual car can have awareness as well as gates, but he's responsible for the driving.Put the tech into my car, and let me buy it as needed. I need someone else to drive me home; hit the button and voila, I've hired a driver for the moment. I don't want to drive 11 hours to my vacation spot; hire the remote pilot for that. When I get there, I have my car and he's still at his normal location, piloting cars for other people.The system would allow for driver rest period, like what's required for truckers, so I might end up with multiple people driving me to the coast. I don't care. And they don't have to be physically with me, therefore they can be way cheaper.Charge taxi-type per-mile rates. For long drives, offer per-trip rates. Offer subscriptions, including miles/hours. Whatever.(And for grins, dress the remote pilots all as Johnnie.)Start this out with big rigs. Take the trucker away from the long haul driving, and let him be there for emergencies and the short haul parts of the trip.And in a manner similar to PHEVs being discredited, I fully expect to be razzed for this brilliant idea (not unlike how Alan Kay wasn't recognized until many many years later for his Dynabook vision).
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Mike Bradley Autonomous cars were developed in Silicon Valley. For new products there, the standard business plan is to put a barely-functioning product on the market right away and wait for the early-adopter customers to find the flaws. That's exactly what's happened. Detroit's plan is pretty much the opposite, but Detroit isn't developing this product. That's why dealers, for instance, haven't been trained in the cars.
Dartman https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-fighter-jets-air-force-6a1100c96a73ca9b7f41cbd6a2753fdaAutonomous/Ai is here now. The question is implementation and acceptance.
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