TOKYO — Fuji Heavy Industries is the latest Japanese automaker to jump into the plug-in electric vehicle sweepstakes at home, with its new Subaru Plug-In Stella.
The front-wheel-drive four-passenger EV, which measures just over 133 inches long, is based on the company's standard gasoline-powered Stella minicar.
The Plug-in Stella features an electric motor that makes 63 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, enabling a top speed of 63 mph.
The car's lithium-ion battery pack provides a range of 56 miles between charges. It can be recharged up to 80 percent of its capacity in 15 minutes at a special quick-charging station. Using household current, the plug-in system takes eight hours to fully recharge on 100 volts and five hours on 200 volts.
Fuji plans to sell only 170 units through next March, primarily to fleet and government users in Japan, with deliveries beginning in late July.
The Plug-in Stella is priced at $48,800, including consumption tax, and is eligible for a government subsidy of $14,250, plus other tax incentives.
Inside Line says: Is it just us, or does the name "Plug-in Stella" sound faintly suggestive? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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