2008 New York Auto Show: Subaru R1e
- Competes with: Smart ForTwo
- Looks like: Less of an oddity now that the ForTwo is puttering around the U.S.
- Drivetrain: 40-kW electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack
- Hits dealerships: Fleet testing in the U.S. in summer 2008; consumer testing in Japan in late 2009
The Subaru R1e is an all-electric two-seat micro-car that can travel up to 50 miles on a charge at speeds up to 65 mph. A nearly full charge can take as little as 15 minutes to achieve when using a special quick charger, but it takes a lot longer — 8 hours — to achieve a full charge using a regular household power outlet. Subaru says the R1e's lithium-ion battery pack should last for 10 years/130,000 miles and cost less than $2 to charge.
During Subaru's press conference at the New York auto show, the automaker announced it will provide two of the cars to the New York Power Authority this summer for testing in New York City. The New York test is in addition to ones that have already been conducted in London and Tokyo, according to Subaru chief marketing officer Tim Mahoney.
An all-electric city car would make a lot of sense in a number of U.S. metropolitan areas if drivers had charging stations available for use. A test program like the one Subaru's entered into is a step in that direction, but don't look for a tangle of extension cords along the sidewalks of New York anytime soon.
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Even using Li-Ion batteries, this car doesn't match the range of the old school GM EV-1 or even the Ford Ranger electric pickup. How can that be?
Subaru needs to engineer this car to have a minimum 100 mile range for it to be successful. As it stands now, a gasoline car with the needle pointing to "E," and the fuel warning light on has the same range. That's not an attractive proposition. The one bright spot in this story is the calculation of driving 50 miles on $2 of electricity - proof that electric transportation options make a lot of sense financially and environmentally.
It's just plain good to see this car showing up on any radar.
Basic yet Classy looking interior. Nice hidden exterior door handle.
1st the B9 Tribecca, then the R1e. I'm one of the few who like this "look" but I'm sorry that it never found it's way onto the "right sized" car. (I'm looking at YOU Imprezza!) Or perhaps an SVX sized coupe.
From what I hear this look is already being phased out. A shame, because it was never truly realized.