Subaru R1e
Subaru R1e
Subaru R1e
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, it stands to reason that
Subaru's plan to bring electric vehicles to the U.S. could begin with just two cars.
An updated version of its Japanese-market R1 coupe, the R1e electric car begins U.S. testing this month in
New York. Just two of the tiny commuter cars are on the docket, both of which are being presented to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for extended-use evaluation.
CG Says...
Nowhere does
a tiny electric car make more sense than in New York where the traffic
is thick and gas prices especially high. But to less eco-committed
audiences in areas outside of big cities, R1e would be a tough sale. If
gas prices continue to rise, and Subaru is willing to service a very
tiny niche, we might see these little commuter bubbles sooner than
people think. |
Per Subaru, a fully charged R1e has a real-world range of 50 miles. What's impressive is that, when hooked to a special charger, R1e can be "quick charged" to 80 percent of its battery capacity in just 15 minutes. Less impressive is the R1e's 65 mph top speed, a serious detriment to users outside of metropolitan areas.
Concurrent R1e testing is now underway in Japan and Europe. Subaru has no immediate plans to make the R1e available for retail sale in any market, but says that pending successful evaluations, production versions are not out of the question.
