Mario777
01-14-2006, 10:48 PM
Subaru's parent company unveils two concept cars
By Max Showalter
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/BUSINESS/601110328/1059/RSS04
Casting an environmental eye to the future, the parent company of Subaru has a pair of concept cars on display in Detroit this week at the 2006 North American International Auto Show.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. unveiled a concept vehicle, the Subaru B5-TPH, and a test version of its R1e urban electric car.
The company said the high-tech vehicles are part of FHI's broad approach to environmental responsibility that also takes into account an assortment of factors: current vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency, reduced environmental impact from all facets of automobile development, production and marketing.
"Subaru has always been, and will continue to be, committed to safeguarding the natural environment that so many of our customers avidly enjoy," Subaru of America Inc. chairman, president and chief executive officer Kunio Ishigami told reporters in Detroit. "We will continue to make these technologies a priority in our product development, manufacturing and business processes."
Developed by the Subaru Design Team, under the guidance of Andreas Zapatinas, the chief designer, the R1e electric minicar is equipped with a turbo engine, thin electric motor and next-generation long-life lithium-ion batteries.
Projected to eventually be driven about 120 miles without recharging, the R1e may be available by 2010.
The batteries, which can be recharged in about five minutes, were developed by NEC Lamilion Energy, a company created in 2002 by NEC and FHI.
Performance tests also are being conducted on prototype cells of the new Li-ion capacitor. If successfully commercialized for compact cars, FHI said the capacitors could open other business opportunities, including helping to meet an increased demand for new hybrid buses, trucks and other passenger vehicles. It also has the potential to be an alternative to conventional lead-acid batteries in the future.
The B5-TPH concept vehicle is a two-seat car that also features lithium-ion battery technology -- but probably won't ever be built.
"Its main focus is not the exterior styling so much as Subaru's Turbo Parallel Hybrid powertrain, which is linked to the company's trademark symmetrical four-wheel-drive system. That's a shame, since the B5-TPH is the best looking vehicle to come out of Subaru's studios in some time," said a review of the vehicle in Automobile magazine.
"Subaru says while there are no plans to build a car that looks like the B5-TPH, some variation of TPH is likely for production (for the Japanese market), maybe in the Legacy or Forester, by 2007."
By Max Showalter
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/BUSINESS/601110328/1059/RSS04
Casting an environmental eye to the future, the parent company of Subaru has a pair of concept cars on display in Detroit this week at the 2006 North American International Auto Show.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. unveiled a concept vehicle, the Subaru B5-TPH, and a test version of its R1e urban electric car.
The company said the high-tech vehicles are part of FHI's broad approach to environmental responsibility that also takes into account an assortment of factors: current vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency, reduced environmental impact from all facets of automobile development, production and marketing.
"Subaru has always been, and will continue to be, committed to safeguarding the natural environment that so many of our customers avidly enjoy," Subaru of America Inc. chairman, president and chief executive officer Kunio Ishigami told reporters in Detroit. "We will continue to make these technologies a priority in our product development, manufacturing and business processes."
Developed by the Subaru Design Team, under the guidance of Andreas Zapatinas, the chief designer, the R1e electric minicar is equipped with a turbo engine, thin electric motor and next-generation long-life lithium-ion batteries.
Projected to eventually be driven about 120 miles without recharging, the R1e may be available by 2010.
The batteries, which can be recharged in about five minutes, were developed by NEC Lamilion Energy, a company created in 2002 by NEC and FHI.
Performance tests also are being conducted on prototype cells of the new Li-ion capacitor. If successfully commercialized for compact cars, FHI said the capacitors could open other business opportunities, including helping to meet an increased demand for new hybrid buses, trucks and other passenger vehicles. It also has the potential to be an alternative to conventional lead-acid batteries in the future.
The B5-TPH concept vehicle is a two-seat car that also features lithium-ion battery technology -- but probably won't ever be built.
"Its main focus is not the exterior styling so much as Subaru's Turbo Parallel Hybrid powertrain, which is linked to the company's trademark symmetrical four-wheel-drive system. That's a shame, since the B5-TPH is the best looking vehicle to come out of Subaru's studios in some time," said a review of the vehicle in Automobile magazine.
"Subaru says while there are no plans to build a car that looks like the B5-TPH, some variation of TPH is likely for production (for the Japanese market), maybe in the Legacy or Forester, by 2007."