Electric Vehicle Photo Gallery

The Subaru R1e, a two-seater, about 20 inches longer than a Smart ForTwo, is anything but revolutionary during its time on the road—the top speed is 65 miles per hour and the range is about 50 miles. However, the time to recharge the 346-volt lithium ion battery pack is about 15 minutes. That’s a big deal. Don’t expect an R1e to arrive anytime soon at your local Subaru dealership. But if the fast-charge technology continues to improve, one of the biggest obstacles to an electric car future—recharge times measured in hours rather than minutes—will be eliminated.