Vancouver EV City Tour with Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV
Europe has enjoyed Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV for 5 years but the wait for the best selling PHEV SUV in the world is over. It's been out in the Asian and European markets but it's finally available in North America! While many want to go the cleaner option they still want the practical utility vehicle which most EV vehicles are unfortunately on the smaller and less family friendly side.
This week I drive around town in EV mode and show you it's easy to get around town in the Outlander PHEV without ever needing to use gas!
Disclosure: MitsubishiCanada provided me with the 2018 Outlander for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me.
Day 1 |stop 1:
Z&Y Shanghai Cuisine
Z&Y in Richmond at the Walmart plaza offers authentic and delicious Shanghai cuisine with 4 charging stations. They recently won best Shanghai restaurant from Chinese Restaurant Awards too! This is one of my favourite plazas to charge as often times 3 out of 4 chargers are available when we drop by. You can also head across the street to grab a bubble tea from T-Go Tea after as well!
Day 1 | STop 2
BAMBU:
After dinner we dropped by Bambu for their Che drinks and Pandan waffles. There aren't many places that specialize in just selling che drinks so we were happy they recently opened in Vancouver! There are no chargers here but it's on the way home which makes it a convenient spot to drop by.
DAY 2 | sTOP 1
Odd Society Spirits:
We stumbled upon Odd Society by accident because the wait time at Pepino's was 2 hours! We dropped off the Outlander to charge at the Britannia Rink which has 2 charging stations. From 6 pm to 9 am it is free to charge and a block away from Pepino's. Odd Society is another 2 blocks away.
Odd Society is known for their small batch distillery so we tried a few cocktails using the alcohol made in house. We also got a plate of charcuterie and cheese to nibble on before our dinner. I would recommend trying any cocktail with the elderflower liqueur.
Day 2 | STop 3:
PEPINO'S SPAGHETTI HOUSE
Pepino's is fairly new so it was no surprise they were so busy. I've heard so many good things about them that we had to come check them out! Overall we loved it. The dining environment was classy and feels like it has a lot of history. The food was fantastic. And surprisingly, they do take reservations so I would highly recommend making one to avoid a 2 hour wait time like us! Our favourite dish was the chicken picatta with roasted potatoes. The spaghetti was good, but meatballs could be better! The tiramisu sundae looking dessert was an interesting take on it but I think I would have preferred a more traditional tiramisu and slightly less sweet.
day 3|stop 1
Vancouver aquarium:
The Aquarium has two charging stations right in front of the main entrance. You'll want to check if this spot is available or not via the app because the chances are it will be taken already. This is a great spot to enjoy viewing the aquatic life. They also have snakes, birds, monkeys and other wildlife as well. I could spend the whole day here viewing them!
day 3 | stop 2
Zakkushi:
Thanks to the charging station at the Aquarium we were fully topped up we drove nearby to get charcoal grilled skewers at Zakkushi. They are very busy so I would highly recommend calling in advance and making a reservation.
day 3|stop 3
Bubble QueeN:
After dinner at Zakkushi we headed to Bubble Queen to try their weekly rotating soft serve flavours lychee and oolong mochi! This summer they started introducing 2 weekly soft serve flavours, usually Asian inspired like Horlick! It's been quite popular to see what they come up with next! A great summer treat after BBQ meat! There is also no free charging nearby but we are doing well with battery life to make it home without worrying about running out of juice.
day 4|stop 1
Hunnybee (Pop-up by birds & Beets):
There's no charging station nearby that's free but there is plenty of free street parking. This new pop up from Birds & Beets is located in Vancouver Chinatown called Hunnybee. Their apricot curd is to die for! We got it on our toast and pancakes. The use local coffee beans from Bows and Arrows from Victoria BC. I also noticed some Luna coffee on the shelf which is from a local indie roaster. Overall the space here is very welcoming with friendly staff, clean and lots of natural light. The food came out quick and was tasty. Perfect for a Sunday brunch option.
day 4 | stop 2
The pie Shoppe:
We opted to head back to East Van to explore more of the neighbourhood after having a good time at Odd Society. We ended up leaving the Outlander charging at the Britannia Rink again. Our first stop is The Pie Shoppe which is known for using local seasonal ingredients in all their pies. They sell out fast so if you plan to get a whole one make sure you pre-order! At the time of our visit, peach was in season so we got a slice of the OkanaganPeach Pie!
day 4 | stop 3
Doan's craft:
Our next stop is at Doan's which was basically across the street from the pie shoppe. While we were driving in the morning we found out on the radio that Doan's was moving out from this location to a larger facility. We just had to make a stop here before they pack things up. Lots of great memories and artwork to enjoy too. I would recommend coming here one last time!
day 4 | stop 4
Chili pepper house:
Every time we drive by Chili Pepper House we are always curious by it. There is often a line up outside. They specialise in Hakka (Chinese Indian cuisine). Overall does the job. It's definitely on the spicy side. It has a no frill's home feel.
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF Mitsubishi OUTLANDER PHEV:
Considering the Outlander PHEV is half a decade old I am surprised how far the technology was ahead of its time. It is still holds the record for a plug-in SUV with the longest electric range, the only plug-in hybrid from a nonluxury brand with all-wheel drive, and the only plug-in-hybrid model of any kind to offer Level 3 fast charging.
What I found most impressive was that I could get up to 110-120 km/hr in EV mode. I'd be interested to know how the battery degrades over time after a year but they also provide a pretty long warranty if there are any issues with it!
Mitsubishi's Outlander is going to be a popular hit for families who need the space of a SUV but want to reduce their environmental footprint and the record breaking sales shows it!