Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is still No 1

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ended 2020 as the UK’s best selling plug-in hybrid SUV once again.

It has been a best-seller every year since it was launched – that’s overall PHEV for five years and SUV PHEV for six.

Clearly 2020 had its challenges, but it also proved to be a remarkable year for PHEV technology with both the number of models on offer to UK customers and the number of vehicles sold both doubling.

At the end of 2019 there were 34 PHEV vehicles on sale in the UK amassing around 35,000 sales. By the end of 2020, there were 66 PHEV models to choose from racking up almost 67,500 sales – a 93% increase.

Despite this increase in competition, the Outlander PHEV retained its position as the best-selling PHEV SUV in the UK (3,736 registrations), helped in no small part by the increase in sales for the Outlander PHEV Commercial. Its 320 registrations in 2020 represent a 56% increase in sales compared to 2019 making it the best-ever year for the pioneering Outlander PHEV Commercial.

Apart from the lower benefit in kind tax that PHEVs attract, customers are also drawn to the lower running costs and environmental benefits of plug-in hybrid technology.

Recent studies indicate that 92% of Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV customers charge their vehicles multiple times per week and spend almost three quarters (72%) of their commutes and 85% of errand and school runs driving in pure-electric “EV mode”.

Just as importantly, PHEVs are paving the way for the future with 70% of Outlander PHEV owners now considering a fully electric vehicle for their next purchase, compared to just 27% of surveyed drivers of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.