Subaru reveals its new Stella plug-in electric concept vehicle
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Subaru is using next week's G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to show off its new Stella prototype electric vehicle. The company has provided five cars for use at the event, and four will be used to transport delegates and officials, with the fifth going on display in the Environmental Showcase, as well as being available to test drive.
Essentially, the new car combines the electric powertrain from Subaru's earlier R1e concept car with its existing Stella model. This results in a more practical car, as the Stella is a five-door model, a little shorter than a Hyundai i10, whereas the R1e was only a two-seat microcar with two doors. Subaru plans to use the new Stella concept in the development and test-marketing of the next generation of electric vehicles in Japan in the near future.
The R1e has been undergoing testing for two years, and its co-developer, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, has been using 40 cars on its fleet as part of the vehicle's development work. Its lithium-ion batteries can be charged up to 80 per cent capacity in 15 minutes using a fast charger, or fully charged overnight at home. In the Stella, they give the car a 60mph top speed and a range of 50 miles per charge.
