Subaru electric cars

The Stella wasn't designed 

to accommodate electric 

car components, and yet 

Subaru has managed to 

adapt its R1e drivetrain 

to this kei car. 

(Photo: Subaru)

Subaru is best known 

for its all wheel drive 

systems, but could it 

become the new 

electric car brand? 

(Photo: Subaru)

While Toyota is quickly becoming the world's

go-to brand for hybrids, could Subaru be the 

brand to purchase pure electric-powered cars 

from? This could very well be the case, as the 

Japanese automaker best known for its all 

wheel drive cars and crossovers showed off 

its second electric-powered vehicle earlier 

this summer, the Plug-in Stella.
Besides being a different and more practical 

body style, shared with a production car that 

offers seating for four, the Stella uses the same 

general running gear as the R1e. It features a 

40 kW (53.6 horsepower) electric motor that's 

powered by a lithium-ion battery pack good

for 50 kilometers per charge. The Plug-in Stella 

Concept is also good for 50 mph, which is 

perfect for urban areas, provided that one 

doesn't venture onto a freeway.
Like the R1e, the electric Stella can charge 

its batteries to full from empty in eight hours 

time, but if you're in need of a quick refuel it 

can be replenished to 80-percent of its full 

capacity in a mere 15 minutes. 

The battery, which was developed in part 

with the Tokyo Electric Power Company 

(TEPCO), doesn't face the usual memory 

related problems that have plagued other 

quick charge vehicles.