2006 SUBARU R1e


With hybrids all the rage, it seems that every company is rolling one onto a show stand or showroom floor in an attempt to change the face of energy consumption and transportation or some such blather.

Subaru itself has gotten into the act with the B5-TPH concept. But the R1e (based on the tiny Japanese-market R1) isn't some run-of-the-mill hybrid cliché: instead, it's an electrically powered cliché that "has been designed to meet the needs of city mobility." As it requires none of that political (and literal) firestarter, gasoline, the R1e runs solely on the power provided by its lithium-ion battery, which is estimated to last ten to fifteen years and can achieve a 90 percent charge in five minutes.

Subaru claims that charge will provide enough power for a daily commute (perhaps true if you walk to work) and also promises acceleration performance that surpasses gasoline-powered vehicles, although we suspect that group to consist only of riding lawn mowers and Volkswagen Microbuses. The R1e is scheduled for production this spring and will be available only in Japan. Early examples of the R1e are already plying Tokyo's crowded streets as they undergo final rounds of testing while serving as runabouts for--fittingly--the Tokyo Electric Power company.






R1e

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Subaru B5-TPH Concept Car

Image
The Subaru B5-TPH is a stylish coupe/wagon/crossover conce pt car that Subaru stresses is not the next Impreza. Its main focus is not the exterior styling so much as Subaru's Turbo Parallel Hybrid (TPH) powertrain, which is linked to the company's trademark symmetrical four-wheel-drive system. That's a shame, since the B5-TPH is the best-looking vehicle to come out of Subaru's studios in some time. TPH places a thin electric motor generator between the car's 2.0-liter Miller-cycle flat-four turbo engine and the automatic transmission. The Miller-cycle technology, which we last saw in the mid-1990s Mazda Millenia near-luxury sedan, improves engine efficiency by reducing pumping losses due to a power stroke that is longer than the compression stroke. Often, this system makes an engine unresponsive at low speeds, but with the electric motor, Subaru claims, standing-start torque is better than ev...
Read more

Maintaining your Turbo Charged Impreza Car Engine

Image
Starting and Stopping your Engine ( including Turbo Timers) When starting the engine, do not press the throttle at the same time! The engine management system is programmed to automatically adjust the settings and if you should press the throttle during the sequence it is actually possible to cause the system to shut down with the result of a non starting car. (A couple of owners have reported a more persistent starting problem. When the dealer connected the "select monitor" to the ECU, a fault in the crank sensor was reported: a new crank sensor cured the starting problems) In order to prolong engine life, a few common sense rules should be followed when starting and stopping the engine of your Impreza. When starting the engine from cold, you should avoid hard acceleration or high revs (i.e. boost conditions on turbo cars) until the engine has fully warmed up. Most engine wear occurs within the first few minutes after starting when the engi...
Read more

Auto Insurance Glossary

Wondering what all the terminology in your auto insurance policy means? Below is a glossary for your reference. Accidental Death Coverage Accidental death coverage is sometimes a part of your auto insurance policy's Personal Injury Protection or First Party Benefits plans. If someone who's covered dies from accident-related injuries, this type of auto insurance coverage may provide a payment to the insured's designated beneficiary. Actual Cash Value You'll see this term a lot in auto insurance policies or if you ever have to file an auto insurance claim. That's because most auto insurance coverage reimburses you only for the actual cash value of your car. Your car's actual cash value is calculated by determining its original value, minus the amount your car has depreciated since you bought it. Adjuster An adjuster is the person who investigates and settles auto insurance claims. Agent/Broker Agents a...
Read more