Subaru Tests R1e Electric Car in New York City, Previews G4e
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03.18.08
Subaru will test its R1e electric vehicle in New York City this summer. It will provide two R1e electric cars to the New York Power Authority (NYPA), something similar to its partnership with the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).
The R1e is a small two-seater city car (50 miles range, 65 mph top speed). We're guessing Subaru's using it mostly as a learning platform; its first mainstream electric car will probably be based on the G4e concept, a hatchback very similar to Nissan's Versa that will have a longer range (124 miles/200 km) and carry 5 passengers. You can see a photo of it lower in this post. A cool thing about Subaru's battery packs is that they can be charged to 80% capacity in 15 minutes, or in 8 minutes with a special charger made by Fuji Heavy Industries.
The Subaru R1e employs fast-charge lithium-ion battery technology that eliminates typical lithium ion battery issues of charge memory loss, allowing partial charges and quick charges that do not decrease battery life.The battery pack, originally developed in partnership with NEC Corporation, uses lithium manganese oxide spinel (LiMn2O4) as the cathode active material. The crystalline spinel structure makes the battery resistant to overcharging and provides high thermal stability. A 346V battery pack powers the 40kW drive motor, and can recharge to 80% capacity in 15 minutes.
Subaru says it wants to start selling EVs in Japan in 2009. About price, all we know is this:
FHI said it plans to have its electric cars down to around ¥2 million (US$17,500) apiece by 2012 or 2013. Mori said that by the mid-2010s, mass production will significantly decrease the cost of batteries, enabling electric cars to come down to below ¥1.5 million (US$13,100).
Above is the bigger G4e.
::Subaru Will Evaluate The R1e EV in the US This Summer
See also: ::F3DM: The Second, Smaller, Plug-in Hybrid by China's BYD, ::Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Car to Go Global, ::XS500 by Miles: $30,000 $60,000 Electric Car in 2009 [Updated], ::High School Homework: Make an Electric Car, ::Here's What Happens to a Tesla Electric Car Battery at the End of its Life, ::BYD F6DM: Will the First Plug-In Hybrid be Chinese?
i dont care if the car costs 35000 if i dont ever have to stop for gas and pay 41.75 to fill my accord then i will pay it.hurry up and get these cars on the road.stop wasting time we should have had them years ago
Id buy one today if it was available.
I can't get over how freakin' cute these electric hatchbacks are. I'd love to buy one, but I'd prefer it to go 80 mph tops (just to give some wiggle room for passing on the highway) and have a longer range (maybe 200 miles?). Also, what about safety? Next to fuel efficiency, it's my top concern.
I ONLY drive Subarus. Hurry up and get this thing ready, my 2001 Legacy is starting to die.
How many charges before the batteries need to be changed?
no stoping to put 41.75 in your car ya...but up here in quebec about 50% of that money is taxes you won't have to stop a the pump but you will get a bill but the post office or somthing like that how is going to pay for the roads and all....
I hope this cute little car isn't made from Unobtainium, as so many concept vehicles are. I'd love to have one to commute in, and 65 mph is acceptable for me. If 50 miles range is a realistic figure on terrain that isn't flat and at 50 mph average (or better) on a 30 degree night, I'm ready for one now.
HURRY UP FOR THE SAKE OF OUR UNIVERSE!!! HURRY UP... COULD WE STOP WITH THE CONCEPT AND BRING ON THE PRODUCT PLEASE
Scott Beadling – the auto industry did have electric cars years ago, but for political and commercial reasons they were destroyed. See the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car."
Scott Beadling – the auto industry did have electric cars years ago, but for political and commercial reasons they were destroyed. See the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car."
Ok, These are the Japanesse car makers. Are the American Auto makers coming out with anything similar? Or are they getting " caught with their pants down" as ususal. Any other updates?
Hurry up and bring the G4e to the USA. I pledged that I would not buy another car that I couldn't be plugged in and my old Saturn is not going to last forever. All I need is an 80 mile range and 65 mph.
If you want one, tell Subaru. Go here and tell them at the bottom of the page http://www.subaru.com/sub/misc/2009/nyautoshow/r1/index.html
It's good that we are seeing a huge interest in greener alternatives......especially electric cars. However, let's not jump on the bandwagon that quickly; how are we going to dispose of the batteries...Lithium is quite toxic!
This is excellent... i would buy one today, just finished Jeremy Leggetts book "Half Gone", gives you a great background to why we dont already have these cars in great numbers and how the oil companies hold all the cards!
The marketing strategy for EV's should be:
"Thumb your nose at BIG OIL and DETROIT, (or use another finger that comes to mind)"
I would buy one immediately although I would have to boost my wind turbine size. I live offgrid and commute 50kms each way so could charge at eilther end. I simply cannot understand why they are not on the streets already.
My legacy is getting old and, since the timing on the is so bad, please Subaru, let me buy a diesel replacement here in Canada. I garantee that you will sell everyone as soon as it hits the dealer's stock lists
It would be interesting to know how many kilowatts of power to charge these batteries to go 200km.
I hate to rain on the parade everyone however in some initial tests we did on some electric cars here is Australia, we found more CO2 Equivalent Greenhouse Gases were produced per km from small electric vehicles charged with black coal electricity than the same type of vehicle with an unleaded petrol engine (it was a small Toyota hatchback).
That was mainly to do heavy transmission losses for electricity.
This indicated that if the car was not charged on 100% green power (and actually off-grid) then they can actually be producing more CO2 than the gasoline would be.
Has anyone else considered this or have anything to add from studies they have seen?
Sorry to rain on your parade K. Ral, but I just don't believe you. Yes in the case of coal fired plants the CO2 emissions would be staggering, but if all the fuel to be used in the petrol engines was burnt in a power plant, I believe that one efficient plant with scrubbers would be much much more efficient than 50 000 un- tuned small auto engines.
I plan to keep my present vehicles until I can replace them with electric ones. The more people hold off on buying internal combustion engines, the faster electric ones will be made. The present fleet of vehicles could last twenty years and beyond. Buy used if you have to.
Another possibility is an industry to retrofit existing vehicles for shorter trips. Photovoltaic solar carports are another industry of the future. Also selling back surplus energy to the power companies during the daytime, and charging at night.
My wife and I just returned from the CARB Rally in Sacrameto yesterday. Today ids the vote on the mandate requiring the automakers to produce zero emission vehicles. If you really want to see this Suby offered quickly please go to:http://www.pluginamerica.com/ and let CARB and the Govenator how you feel.
Thanks for your support,
Rob
I agree! I am fed up with seeing 'concepts' over and over again, and when they finally start making the cars for consumption, they're only selling them in Europe and Japan and Iceland. C'mon America, start demanding these cars!
K. Ral, are you trolling? The grid needs to be 100% green? 60% or 80% green wouldn't suffice? What you're saying doesn't pass the sanity test.
With sabaru entering and ZAP allready present, we are looking forward to a pepped up competition.
I can't afford the price of a electric car,so now,I brought a electric bicycle :)
Lea please read before you support ZAP. More and more this stuff is starting to leak out. Good idea to bad ...
http://www.wired.com/print/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-04/ff_zapped
Just because it is electric doesn't mean it is carbon neutral. I plan on buying an EV one day and charging it off of solar power.
The Subaru R1e and [larger] G4e are practical,
small Battery Electric Vehicles [BEV] which can
be put to use now: Think of all the commuting wor-
kers, GIs, students, rental customers, and sen-
iors who drive less than 30-35 miles total daily.
They cud immediately use such a car. If a lower-
voltage/lower cost of batteries model was offered,
it wud sell/lease like hotcakes! We lower-middle-
class-folk don't need costly, loaded vehicles--only
a safe, reliable short-range 'ride'...