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Mitsubishi kills CHAdeMO on upcoming Outlander PHEV

Mitsubishi will be adding a number of features to its Outlander Plug-in Hybrid SUV when it introduces the model to the US this summer. It'll also be subtracting a CHAdeMO-standard fast-charging port. The Japanese automaker is saying there aren't enough compatible stations in the States to warrant it, so domestic drivers will have to settle for the SAE port for their fast-charging purposes. Mitsubishi and Nissan are the two Japanese automakers that have been pushing hardest for CHAdeMO as a fast-charging standard. Many US and German automakers have been pushing the competing SAE Combo standard for fast-charging, but the charging station companies seem to be just as happy to install EVSEs with both ports on them. Mitsubishi showed off an Outlander PHEV at a reception in advance of the North American Auto Show in Detroit starting this week, though the car won't be at the show itself. The place where the CHAdeMO port is usually placed was covered by a plastic plate, according to Automotive News. Mitsubishi Motors North America spokesman Alex Fedorak confirmed to Autoblog that the Outlander PHEV will make its US debut by late summer, and that it wouldn't have a CHAdeMO charging port. The Outlander PHEV will start sales in August, and Mitsubishi is hoping the model's introduction will push Mitsubishi's US sales above the 100,000-vehicle threshold for the first time since 2007. The automaker has repeatedly delayed the US debut of the Outlander PHEV. While Mitsubishi hasn't released specifications, the model is likely to have better fuel efficiency and more power than its Japanese and European counterparts. Featured Gallery Plug In 2014: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV View 12 Photos News Source: Automotive News, Automotive NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Mitsubishi SUV Hybrid PHEV

PSA shares rise following FCA's breakup with Renault

Shares in Groupe PSA, parent company of automakers Peugeot, Citroen and the DS brand, rose on Thursday as analysts considered the possibility that Fiat Chrysler could turn back to PSA after withdrawing its $35 billion merger offer for Renault. "Both parties have acknowledged the need for scale or [mergers and acquisitions] and may pursue other opportunities. If Nissan was an obstacle (to an FCA-Renault deal) PSA-FCA discussions could resume," wrote brokerage Jefferies. Back in March at the Geneva Motor Show, rumors started swirling that PSA was interested in a potential merger with FCA. Mike Manley, who took over at the helm of Fiat Chrysler following the death of Sergio Marchionne, had indicated a willingness to look into potential partnership options. Of course, that was all before FCA proposed a merger with Renault — with that deal now off the table, attention naturally turns back to PSA, which is also based in France. "We expect both shares to react negatively but see FCA having wider strategic options and Renault shares more downside risk near-term," said Jefferies. According to Reuters, PSA shares were up 1.5% at the time this was published, making it the top-performing stock on France's benchmark CAC-40 Index. Renault saw its shares slump 7%. Shares for FCA fell 3% in early trading on the Milan Stock Exchange. Considering that FCA said in its statement confirming the withdraw of its merger offer with Renault that "political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully," we have to wonder how keen the company is to begin negotiations with another French automaker like PSA. Those thoughts were similarly voiced by Bernstein Research analyst Max Warburton, who said (via Forbes), "Expect PSA to rise on unrealistic hopes it may be FCA's next date." Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Mitsubishi Nissan Citroen Peugeot Renault FCA renault-nissan

Self-driving Mitsubishis could use adapted missile technology

Mitsubishi is a big company made up of many different divisions and subsidiaries. Yeah, we tend to focus on Mitsubishi Motors, but the sprawling company also manufactures steel, builds televisions – we all knew someone in the 1990s with a hulking Mitsubishi "big screen" – and even screws together fighter jets and the missiles they carry. According to a report from Automotive News Europe, Mitsubishi Motors is hoping to leverage the capabilities of its sister companies to catch up to the competition and get driverless cars on the road by 2020. That means adapting millimeter-wave radars, sensors, and cameras built for missiles to automotive uses. As Mitsubishi sees it, having the development work done on this tech – albeit for a radically different application – gives it a big advantage over the competition. "All we have to do is to put together the components that we already have," Katsumi Adachi, the chief engineer for Mitsu's auto equipment division, told ANE. "None of our competitors have such a wide array of capabilities." As ANE goes on to explain with the help of Tokyo-based IHS analyst Goro Tanamachi, this is no plug-and-play application. That's largely because of the different economics of the automotive and defense industries. In the former, the bean counters have a tremendous say. There are cuts and cost reductions and all sorts of other stuff designed to maximize profit margins. The defense industry, though, is the land of sparing no expense – that, according to Tanamachi-san, could make adapting missile tech to autonomous vehicles a possible, but potentially very pricey proposition. "Cost-cutting requests are much more severe in autos than aerospace," Tanamachi-san told ANE. "I wonder if it's possible for them to bring down the cost of the systems to the levels manufacturers can use for cheap, low-end cars." Related Video: X