CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Next week, Subaru will be looking to impress delegates at the G8 summit in Hokkaido Toyako by unveiling a prototype plug-in electric car.

The company has provided five cars for use at the summit. Four of these will be used to transport officials and policy wonks around, while the other will go on display in the environmental showcase, as well as being available for test drives.

The new prototype twins Subaru’s existing Stella model with the electric powertrain from the company’s earlier R1e concept, which has been undergoing testing for the last two years. Whereas the R1e is a tiny two-seater, the Stella is a more practical 5-door model, and will be used for the development and test-marketing of next-generation EVs in Japan in the coming years.

The car, powered by a powerful Li-Ion battery, is capable of a top speed of around 60mph, with a range of 50 miles between charges - more than adequate for urban journeys. The battery can either be fully charged overnight at home, or topped up to 80% capacity in 15 minutes using a fast-charger. Charge time has been a major barrier to consumer acceptance of EVs and, although this still doesn’t match up to the speed of filling up with gas, it’s certainly getting there.