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Subaru R1e

cannondalejunky

ease dropper
Jun 19, 2005
2,924
2
Arkansas
http://www.subaru.com/sub/misc/2009/nyautoshow/r1/index.html

I'd probably sport one



What makes a Subaru, a Subaru?
Making safe, well engineered cars. And making a difference.


The Subaru R1e. Our vision of the future. Based on the Subaru R1 minicar sold in Japan, the R1e was developed by Subaru in partnership with the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO). The utility has been testing a fleet of R1e electric cars since 2006. As part of a U.S. test program, two of the Subaru R1e electric cars will join the New York Power Authority (NYPA) fleet.

Some Highlights:

The two-seat Subaru R1e is capable of driving at speeds up to 65 mph with a range of up to 50 miles.

It can be charged up to 80% capacity within 15 minutes or fully charged overnight at home using a regular domestic outlet.


Subaru has committed to being a world leader in electric powered vehicles. The R1e is already proving itself in major urban areas such as Tokyo and London.

The R1e has already been nominated by the Japanese government for an award known as the “Commendation for Global Warming Prevention Activity.”
 
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Apr 10, 2007
11
0
"What makes a Subaru, a Subaru?
Making safe, well engineered cars. And making a difference by turning those cars into thrash (sti :disgust1:)."
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
ooh, a range of fifty miles....I'm guessing that's a maximum? So most americans can count on making it halfway to work then having to recharge....

And what's the deal with electric cars anyways? Does it actually save money? My electric bill is huge, and I know somewhere down the line that energy is being produced, whether it's an oil plant, nuke, or wind. I think the right direction is not electric cars, but more nuke and thermal/wind/oceanic powerplants.
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
I agree. Where does the electricity come from?

Look towards solar/water power etc...

Good on them though...
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
ooh, a range of fifty miles....I'm guessing that's a maximum? So most americans can count on making it halfway to work then having to recharge....

And what's the deal with electric cars anyways? Does it actually save money? My electric bill is huge, and I know somewhere down the line that energy is being produced, whether it's an oil plant, nuke, or wind. I think the right direction is not electric cars, but more nuke and thermal/wind/oceanic powerplants.
I've heard running a car on electricity is much cheaper than gasoline, pennies for the equivalent energy of a gallon of gas. I'll see if I can find some evidence to back up my statement.

<edit> This is the best I could do
http://www.hybridcars.com/files/rallying-cry-electric-fuel.doc
At current fuel prices, a car that gets 30 miles per gallon fuel economy costs about 14 cents a mile in fuel costs alone. An electric vehicle of the same size and the same mass, everything else being equal, costs 2 cents a mile on peak, and 1 cent per mile with off-peak rates.
 
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Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
electric is more efficient. read my giant alt transportation thread for details :D . fwiw i pay about 0.1 cents per mile to run my electric bicycle.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
I've heard running a car on electricity is much cheaper than gasoline, pennies for the equivalent energy of a gallon of gas.
That's assuming the electricity is generated by fossil fuels.

If it's wind or solar, the cost is even less.
 

cannondalejunky

ease dropper
Jun 19, 2005
2,924
2
Arkansas
i don't pretend to know a lot about electronics...so i'm trying to figure out why does the car get 85% of its charge in 15 min, but if you want that other 15% then you have to let it charge over night...if it can get 85 that quick why cant it get 100 in 30 min
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
i don't pretend to know a lot about electronics...so i'm trying to figure out why does the car get 85% of its charge in 15 min, but if you want that other 15% then you have to let it charge over night...if it can get 85 that quick why cant it get 100 in 30 min
yeah, i think am calling shenanigans on that too....

how many amps you have to draw to charge it to 80% in 15 mins???
how many domestic outlets can pump that much current?
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
That's assuming the electricity is generated by fossil fuels.

If it's wind or solar, the cost is even less.
for you, or for the electric companies? judging by my electric bill, it doesn't matter where my energy comes from. in fact, I think they charge extra for the research into alternative energy.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
50 mile range isn't bad at all. Considering my commute is 14 miles each way, I could easily go to work, the store, then home on a single charge. Also, I'm guessing a small solar panel mounted to the roof while parked would charge it to nearly 100% while I sit in the office for 8 hours.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
yeah, i think am calling shenanigans on that too....

how many amps you have to draw to charge it to 80% in 15 mins???
how many domestic outlets can pump that much current?
this charging behavior is actually pretty common with many battery chemistries... my LiFePO4 batteries on my e-bike behave this way, on a different time scale, of course. the charger probably needs 240V -- to quickly charge a car-sized battery on less voltage would be a significant amperage draw, yes.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
That's assuming the electricity is generated by fossil fuels.

If it's wind or solar, the cost is even less.
Monetary, or cost to the Earth? I've also heard in the PNW we have cheaper electricity because most of it comes from hydroelectric dams
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
50 mile range isn't bad at all. Considering my commute is 14 miles each way, I could easily go to work, the store, then home on a single charge. Also, I'm guessing a small solar panel mounted to the roof while parked would charge it to nearly 100% while I sit in the office for 8 hours.
Thats what I think too. I had a campervan for a while that had solar panels on the roof. I could park up as long as I liked and have the basic amenities working off the electrics from that. I'm sure technology is getting to the point that a solar powered car is possible soon (please correct me if it is already here!). It may not start off being very fast or powerful, but....
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
There are a few companies that are making rolled solar panels with sticky backs. The one I was looking at you can cut to fit and stick it to your recycled metal roof. Cover the roof/hood/trunk and I would think you could get serious coverage.

 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
I don't realy don't know much here...

How would you convert the power generated from one of those mats into a usable power source?
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
I don't realy don't know much here...

How would you convert the power generated from one of those mats into a usable power source?
Depends on what you are doing.

In regards to the electric car, you basically wire the panels to the input source for the batteries. The input source has built in controls to monitor the rate of charge and amount.

A well designed system will protect the batteries from overcharging. So the car can be charged from different sources (solar, wind, plug in, whatever). Depending on how many cells you have is how much power generated = how much charge.
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
So solar energy could be used continuously and the wind generated from the car moving could be used also?

Sounds like a cool idea to me...



I have a mental image of a windmill strapped to the top of a car...
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
Quick search finds this ugly bugger:


This new car from Venturi Eclectic charges its own batteries, its roof is covered with a solar panel that boosts a 50Nm electric motor. And if there is no sun, a flip-up windmill charges the liquid-cooled batteries with the wind. Now if there is no sun or wind you can just plug it in. They cost $30,000 each. Why would you buy one? Because you don&#8217;t even need insurance on this thing, its too ugly to be stolen and too slow to get in an accident. No?
Surely that windmill doesn't need actual wind, but the wind cause by motion? Therefor it is charging as it drives?
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Quick search finds this ugly bugger:




Surely that windmill doesn't need actual wind, but the wind cause by motion? Therefor it is charging as it drives?
It seems to me (and I could be wrong) that driving with the windmill up would give you a net loss of power. Obviously the generator in the windmill isn't 100% efficient, so not all of the extra drag created by popping that bad boy up would get turned into electricity. You'd be making the car work harder to move, and only get a portion of that extra energy back.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Quick search finds this ugly bugger:
Gangsters would love that car! One person can drive while two people shoot out the sides......and no pesky windows or doors to get in the way!
 

Stray_cat

Monkey
Nov 13, 2007
460
0
Providence
It seems to me (and I could be wrong) that driving with the windmill up would give you a net loss of power. Obviously the generator in the windmill isn't 100% efficient, so not all of the extra drag created by popping that bad boy up would get turned into electricity. You'd be making the car work harder to move, and only get a portion of that extra energy back.
That is a true statement. If it worked the other way around we wouldn't have an energy crisis.

Maybe a hydroelectric car...