Subaru Plans Hybrid Car for 2012
Published May 22, 2009
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru cars, announced plans this week to introduce a gas-electric hybrid car by 2012. Fuji Heavy will rely on Toyota, which owns a 16 percent stake in the company, to help with vehicle development and technology.
In 2005, Subaru unveiled a sporty two-seat hybrid concept car, the Subaru B5 TPH Hybrid. Leveraging its relationship with Toyota, Subaru is now planning a production hybrid by 2012.
Subaru is the latest in a line of carmakers announcing plans to enter the hybrid market. Other major auto brands planning to introduce a first hybrid in the next few years include Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen. The movement toward hybrids, the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, will be accelerated due to higher fuel-efficiency standards and tougher emissions rules recently enacted in the United States. Automakers must meet average efficiency standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years sooner than previous planned. Europe and Japan are also implementing tougher regulations.
"We will take advantage of our alliance with Toyota," said Ikuo Mori, president and chief executive at Fuji Heavy, after a news conference launching the revamped Legacy model. Mori did not specify which Subaru vehicle might get the hybrid treatment. Subaru’s brand qualities—outdoorsy yet urban and progressive—are well suited to hybrid buyers.
Auto sales in Japan and the United States have taken a dramatic slide this year—but hybrid gas-electric cars, such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, have made a rebound in Japan in the past month or two. The Japanese government has introduced a number of incentives for hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars, which have apparently produced the positive results.
A future Subaru hybrid is not the company’s first foray into greener high-tech cars. A few years ago, the company unveiled the Subaru B5 TPH (for Turbo Parallel Hybrid) concept car—a sporty two-seat, all-wheel-drive grand tourer that blends elements of a coupe, sporty hatchback, and Outback sport-utility. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer four is mated with a very thin electric motor-generator. Lithium ion batteries for the Subaru B5 TPH were co-developed by Fuji Heavy Industries and NEC Corp.
Subaru has also been testing its R1e, all-electric city car. The diminutive two-seater, about 20 inches longer than a Smart ForTwo, has a top speed of 65 miles per hour and a range of 50 miles. The real innovation of the R1e could be the car’s rapid recharging system also developed with NEC. The system promises a full recharge of the 346-volt lithium ion battery pack in about 15 minutes or less. Subaru has about 40 R1e electric cars in fleets in Japan, and has been evaluating two R1es in the United States, working in collaboration with the New York Power Authority.
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I'll believe it when I see it. Their first announcement was vaporware. They pulled back and punted to Toyota, sharing some of the battery technology they had in return for hybrid tech.
Unfortunately, Subaru is in the process of uglifying their whole line. Apparently not reading the papers at HQ, both the 2010 Outback and Forester are larger (and uglier) than their predecessors. The latter is said to be nearly the size of a Jeep Cherokee (which I find hard to believe).
So, which gets delivered first? The Chevy Volt or a hybrid Subaru?
The article I've been waiting for! I want it. My 2002 Outback will be 10 years old by 2012, so I might just be ready for a new car then. My Subaru Outback has been a great compliment car to my Altima Hybrid. Now, I can look forward to the possibility of replacing my Subaru with a hybrid from Subaru. Woo!
Sorry Subaru, but you have missed the hybrid boat unless you plan on rolling out PHEVs as your hybrid solution in 2012. The age of the internal combustion engine is passing...toe dipping in the hybrid pool is useless...
Wouldn't it be nice? But Subaru is a small company with a very tight bottom line. We leased a 2005 Outback, hoping they'd have a hybrid by the time the lease was up. didn't happen. Too bad. Bought a prius now. They missed a window.
2012? why so long..this seems like a nice ride..very small for my taste but very nice.
Agreed. My Forester is one of the overall best vehicles I've owned (we own two). I bought it because of its crossover cred (compact utility vehicle with with great safety record and reasonable mpg) but lately the company has been infected with the bloat. Not a good sign. I had hoped that separation from GM would result in a return to the solid practical vehicles of the past. I will not buy a new, bigger, gas guzzling Forester. Sorry Subaru.
I'd be much more interested if they follow through with their previously announced plan to bring their new boxer diesel engine to the US (with manual transmission option at that). This engine is something they have already developed and sell in Europe. Seems it'd be a much cheaper and quicker option than developing a new hybrid from scratch (or even borrowing Toyota tech).
Make a hybrid Outback and they will come. Don't try to be a Prius wanna-be
All "Real Americans want to drive GMC 4x4 V8... May all you gREENIE wEENIES freeze to death in the dark!
I am excited about the idea of an electric car, but why do most electric car designs are so horrible (including the one in the picture in this article). Take Subaru Legacy Outback 1998 or 2001 and place an electric motor in it. In fact, I am WAITING for all-road electric Subaru Legacy Outback. Existing Subaru cars are nice, but I cannot stand what they propose for their electric car, it's ugly duckling!
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