Subaru unveiling plug-in Stella at Hokkaido G8 summit
Subaru has cooked up another electric kei car for me to park in my fantasy green garage, right next to the R1e and Mitsubishi i MiEV I don't currently have. It's a plug-in concept version of the Stella, and it will make its formal debut at next month's G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Five of the cars will be on hand at the conference -- four to shuttle folks hither and to, and one on static display as part of the on-site Environmental Showcase
The electric powertrain is the same one Subaru uses in its R1e demonstrator -- permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power output of 40 kW powered by a lithium ion battery pack. Operating range on a full charge is 80 kilometers, and the cars have a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The plug-in Stella is an advance over the 2-seat R1e in that, like Mitsubishi's i MiEV, its wagonoid body is a far more practical package overall.
[Source: Subaru]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GoodCheer 9:42PM (6/27/2008)
It's a little goofy looking, but I do think intermediate speed and range EVs, good for secondary roads or an exit or two on the freeway* if you need to) could and should have a place in the automotive line-up.
*Yes I do drive 62mph on the freeway, sometimes slower.
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ug 9:57PM (6/27/2008)
If you're going to use lithium, have the guts to use a big enough pack to get more than lead-acid style ranges. They are wimping out here. Until we have charging stations all over, these cars need enough range to get to and from work on one charge with some buffer left to spare.
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Algys Autos 8:21AM (6/28/2008)
When WILL there be a good sensible green car for importation into the UK. We import many used Japanese cars mainly 4x4 and SUV / MPV but alos the very cute and hightly sought after Nissan figaro http://www.figs4u.co.uk which is a 40+ mpg (NOT able to be USA registered, but can be in Canada). We get enquiries daily from UK customer ref a good reliebae soley electric car that is capable of normal useage....is there such a thing? please tell! email us anytime or call us from the conatct list on our website http://www.algysautos.com
thanx
Algys Autos Ltd
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EV-1 9:54AM (6/28/2008)
These shuffle-off EVs begin to be really annoying.
>:(
Why can't they build good ones !?
The EVs the world needs ,
- BETTER LOOKS
- longer range (100 miles (160km) is a bare minimum!!
- higher power
This is due to the mental barriers of most people.
->
Obviously there are many advantages with a "battery
powered shoebox", like that Subaru plugin, but the
scoffing from neighburs and sceptics would prevent
the majority from daring inte this new field of car
tech, I'm absolutely certain.
Come on, car-makers ! Give us a practical, quick,
agile, fairly roomy, plug-in with 150+ mile range
(over 240 km), and a reasonable price !
I BET YOU'D HAVE A WINNER !
And you'd be in the LEAD !
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skierpage 9:29PM (7/05/2008)
"This is due to the mental barriers of most people"
Uhh, no. It's due to physics. Roughly, the lithium battery pack for the range you want weighs 300 kg and costs $7,000. The easiest way to get a (relatively) low-cost BEV on the road is to put a small battery pack in a small car. It takes radical re-engineering to beat physics. Every car maker should be selling cars like this Stella and the MiEV while also developing a car that's as groundbreaking as the General Motors EV1 (12 years old!) and Aptera.
EV-1 6:47AM (7/06/2008)
#5 "skierpage"
You misunderstand my comment.
I'm all for a broad diversity of differrent EVs.
The point I am making is that there are slight problems with recent range:
* There's an imbalance in the "available" (presented) choices
towards ultra-small and/or ultra weird vehicles.
This is, I fear, delaying (if not preventing) the general acceptance of the EV concept ;
the vast majority is looking at the lineup and having a hard time
* finding a viable alternative to their present everyday driving habits and need(s).
* On top of the purely practical aspects, there's the "neighbur scoffing" factor: not that 'bigger is better' in every case, but the "golf car concept" just isn't going to catch on w the broad majority.
-> There's the "mental barrier" part.
The more auto-makers that'll go into production of EVs w decent to good performance, the more reasonable the pricing of batterys (and other parts) will become.
And the more alternatives with good looks, sufficient space, adequate speed and the pivotal R-a-n-g-e , the more people will get won over to "the Silent Revolution" in car performance ! :)
- - - - - - -
Finally, the point of mentioning "the good ol' EV-1"
;)
is exactly what you point out - it's 12 yrs old !
=> there REALLY is no excuse by now !
(We all know Electric cars are over 100 years !)
I suspect all the auto-makers lie in wait for each other, closely watching market developement (incl. oil market).
Hope Nissan will beat the Volt to it, and, more important, hope someone start making better looking 'eBox'es - not shoe-boxes !
;)
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