It was the best quarter ever for the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander.
April 9, 2023 and 8:34 PM ET
Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) reports that U.S. vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2023 fell nearly 21% year-over-year to 20,938 units.
The Japanese manufacturer said the reason was related to production constraints rather than lack of demand, but it was the fifth consecutive month of sales declines (year-on-year).
The good news for Mitsubishi is that the new 2023 Outlander PHEV is selling better than ever thanks to the introduction of the latest version in late 2022.
Approximately 1,597 units were sold in the first quarter of 2023, a 122% increase from a year ago and a new quarterly record. The Outlander PHEV accounted for a record 7.6% of Mitsubishi Motors Outlander sales.
For reference, in 2022 Mitsubishi delivered 1,961 Outlander PHEVs in the US. That’s 13% less than in 2021 and his 2.3% of Mitsubishi’s total sales.
This year will likely be an all-time high of 6,000 for Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs (assuming monthly sales of over 1,500 continue). Previously, his best was 4,166 in 2018).
Since 2013, the company has sold nearly 15,000 Outlander PHEVs domestically, compared to well over 300,000 Outlander PHEVs sold worldwide (mainly in Europe).
The main question is what the long-term future of Mitsubishi’s electrification will be. Because obviously it can’t be based on a refreshed Outlander PHEV.
The company recently announced that it will have new plug-in models by 2028, including several all-electric models such as pickups and SUVs.
As we understand it, in partnership with other brands in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the launch of new BEVs in the US must be combined with local production to be eligible for all incentives. there is. It’s a sizable investment, and could relate to Nissan’s manufacturing plant (Mitsubishi sold its Illinois plant to Rivian a long time ago).
