Subaru R1e microcar to sell for 120,000 yuan

Shanghai, September 4 (Gasgoo.com) The Subaru R1e electric microcar that can run at a top speed of 100 km/h (60mph) may come to China in one year. The electric car is based on Subaru's domestic microcar, which is already well-established in the Japanese small-car segment.

The R1e simply replaces the gasoline engine with an electric traction motor and lithium-ion battery pack behind the seats. There are only two seats, because this really is just a microcar. FHI has jointly developed the Subaru R1e with Tokyo Electric Power Co. The R1e microcar is in a trial run in major urban areas such as Tokyo and London.

The Subaru R1e will be mass-produced and go on sale in Japan in 2009, and then will be introduced to global markets including China. Its price, to be announced early next year, will be reduced to 17,500 (120,000 yuan) by 2012 and further down to $13,000 when the lithium-ion battery is widely available.

The eco-friendly two-seat R1e electric microcar 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.