is it 4wd and are the elec motors in boxer designif not.. its not a subaru

for real : funny looking car
looks the same as the toyota model that is going to come under the toyota aygo.

Specially designed for those who say "my Toyota Yaris is too spacious". That cop in the picture is bigger then the car. It actually looks like a kids Remote Controlled car.

Wow, what is the big deal!?
I used to sell/lease the Rav4 EV back in 02 that fully griddable overnight
and gave an operating range of 110~120 miles!

So technology does advance very slowooly? 50 miles range only ?

We know but they are gone. (well at least from the showrooms)

So, NOW, we must wait and see what is next... like that Subaru or the Mitsubushi

Please let me know when I can buy an EV from Toyota again!

65 mph is (just barely) acceptable, but 50 miles of range is only 10 or 15 better than my Xebra, and if they've exaggerated as much as EV makers usually do, then its range may be no better than my Xebra.

75 miles of real driving distance at free way speed is my minimum requirement to trade in my three-legged clown car.

That is pretty cool! At this point any news of EV development from a major manufacturer is good news. The R1 is supposed to be a pretty sweet little car, and in its ICE form at least it does have awd! I would take one of these over a SMART any day

As far as the range, of course more would be better. Tesla has proven what new batteries can do, but also how much they cost. One would assume Subaru is trying to take a more practical approach, providing a vehicle that would meet a lot of people needs at a reasonable price. I guess we'll have to wait and see. They are talking commercial production before 2010 so hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

Rob

My wife's old commute was 5miles round trip, but part was on the highway. Which left bikes, NEVs, and Xebras out of the question. It's great when they work for you, but for EVs to go mainstream they need have the longer range and higher speed, like you said.

Please be aware that the R1e is designed for city commuter, not for a highway cruiser.
Also, it's not a final design and they are doing just a fleet testing including the 50 miles EV range is adequate or not. (cost/performance/space/weight/others)
If you like more, Subaru is doing another one.
Tokyo Motor Show: Subaru's G4e - lithium batteries, 120+ miles per charge, seats five - AutoblogGreen

Ken@Japan

You can buy gasoline Subaru R1 or Mitsubishi i in Japan.
SUBARU : 車種紹介 > SUBARU R1 | エクステリア
‚‰ (Æ’AÆ’C) | Å’yŽ©“®ŽÔ | Æ’JÂ[ƒ‰ƒCƒ“ƒAÆ’bÆ’v | MITSUBISHI MOTORS JAPAN

Ken@Japan

I didn't see in the article what the top speed or acceleration will be for the G4e, but it looks good. If it's first to market in the U.S., I'll buy it. As I keep saying, first to market with a "real" electric car or decently-configured PHEV gets my money.

I believe the G4e will perform better than the prototype R1e.
We'll see the real numbers when the G4e is announced.

Ken@Japan

[ame=http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=xRlsb8mRxp0]YouTube - Subaru R1e Electric Car Test drive[/ame]