Subaru, recently acquired by Toyota, saw record sales in 2005,
partly due to the success of the new B9 Tribeca SUV, which went on sale
last July. Sales totaled 196,000 units in '05, up five percent from
2004.
Not surprisingly, Subaru, like nearly every
other automaker, is also focusing on flexible fuel technology, namely
hybrid powertrains and all-electric vehicles. At the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Japanese manufacturer put this technology into two concept
vehicles: B5-TPH and R1e.
| Subaru Concepts: Subaru B5-TPH and Subaru R1e | |||
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These mouthfuls were unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show and mark Subaru's foray into hybrid-vehicle technology--potentially foreshadowing the group's future clean-energy vehicle plans. The two-seater B5-TPH is powered by Subaru's turbo parallel hybrid engine, which is currently in testing phases but is scheduled to be released on a trial basis in Japan in 2007. The Japanese automaker also has plans to incorporate the TPH technology into Subaru's core systems, like their boxer engine and symmetrical all-wheel drive. Subaru's R1e "urban electric" vehicle exhibited the company's new long-life lithium-ion battery, developed with Nec Lamilion energy. Subaru claims that the battery can be 80 percent recharged in about 15 minutes, and was specifically designed to perform in congested stop-and-go city driving. |
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 2006 Detroit Auto Show |
