Photo gallery: Subaru Stella EV
The interior seems to be more plush and has the obligatory electric blue accents. Click through for an in-depth photo gallery.
(Credit: Subaru)
Upside
Like the Mitsubishi i MiEV that we sampled at this year's Melbourne Motor Show, Subaru's new Stella EV is a Japanese mini-car, or kei car, that has had its petrol engine ripped out and replaced by an electric motor. Under the short, stubby bonnet is a 47kW/170Nm electric motor. This is sufficient to propel the one tonne — 1010kg to be exact — Stella to a top speed of 100km/h.
Downside
The Lithium-ion battery pack has enough juice on a full charge for about 90km of driving. This isn't much compared to other electric cars out there, as the Mitsubishi i MiEV manages 160km, the Australian evMe does 200km and the Tesla Roadster, a gargantuan 365km if you exercise a light foot. The flipside is that recharging takes only eight hours from a 100V outlet and five hours from a 200V. Using the quick charge system, the Stella can be recharged to 80 per cent of capacity in 15 minutes.
Outlook
It's been a long journey from concept car to prototype to production vehicle, and so far the Stella is only on sale in Japan, with Subaru planning on selling just 170 units from late July until March 2010. Price is set at ¥4,725,000, or about AU$60,800 at current exchange rates. According to Subaru, buyers will get a subsidy of up to ¥1,380,000 (AU$17,800), as well as possible tax cuts.
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