Comments on: 2009 Subaru Plug-in Stella – First Steer

By: Cupid Stunt

Cupid Stunt — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:52:07 +0000

Electric thing is starting to happen slowly. Waaaay too pricey to be of any comercial value.
Oh where did you get “204g/100km of CO2″ for a 2.0litre petrol. Some Audis are touching 150’s now!!

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:25:23 +0000

Keep in mind the electric car is an interim solution until Hydrogen takes off. Infrastructure will hamper its development for some time. But basically your Hydrogen car is the same as your electric car, it just has a tank and fuel cell instead of a monster battery.

I believe Honda are actually trying to push for Home Hydrogen production system also!!

By: Aleks

Aleks — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:57:54 +0000

Still even with that fact in mind, what if an emergency happens and you gotta drive somewhere, and things come up all the time, you would just get stranded somewhere. Now the Volt as Lazybones suggested, thats a great idea, have the electric part, but have the petrol part there aswell, I think that is a good way to go, but I agree with Joe aswell that Hydrogen is the way of the future.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:41:07 +0000

Aleks, the answer to that is right in the article. Most people live within 40 km of work (80 km return trip) so you drive it to work and back home and then leave it plugged in overnight.

Having said that I do agree that there’s no real future for these. Hydrogen is the way to go. I saw a documentary a few years ago on alternative fuel sources and have been backing hydrogen ever since. And that was before the whole global warming thing REALLY blew up, so I can only imagine that the technology has improved greatly since then too.

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:28:49 +0000

Aleks, lots of people are interested in this technology. The main idea is you charge overnight – everynight and do less than 80kms per day. In the Europe some companies are putting in (charge points) in company car parks. Assuming your at work 8 hours a day this is a good idea.

Then with the volt you have good old petrol stuff to take you the extra 950kms if required.

By: Kovy

Kovy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:44:57 +0000

Yeah, I’d stick with a Tesla.

By: Aleks

Aleks — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:38:46 +0000

Why do they company’s create this crap, no one is going to wait 8 hours at home or even wait 15 minutes at a recharging station, until they get the recharge time down around 2 minutes there is not future for these cars.

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:40:12 +0000

“You want looks buy a Telsa.”

oooohhhh yesss, I simply call it the Jesus car :D

Your right salesman, it is about the technology. But at the same time you don’t want to scream everytime you open the garage door.

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:08:59 +0000

Its not about the looks, its about the technology. You want looks buy a Telsa.

By: JEKYL & HYDE

JEKYL & HYDE — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:33:07 +0000

$45k buys alot of petrol/diesel…

By: Mikko

Mikko — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:22:07 +0000

What’s with its name? Sounds like the village whore…

By: lazybones

lazybones — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:11:08 +0000

“why so negative on the looks man?”

Ok, i’m looking again… Front err hmm ok a bit daihatsu terios.. backside.. Samsung 450ltr Fridge Freezer :)

Best looking & performing plugins so far are the Volt & Mini-E

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:54:23 +0000

$60K for 40kw, a disgusting style, and a top speed of 100km/h!

Great value, where do I sign??

lol.

By: RoFlmaTiC

RoFlmaTiC — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:47:43 +0000

I can see lots of scion influence in this. I wonder how much toyota had to do with this car?

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:28:10 +0000

This will have as much success as a Beta video player, some will invest in them but to their own peril. Hydrogen is a much greener solution that gives us the performance and traveling distance we are used to.

By: lazybones

lazybones — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:26:16 +0000

“my choice would be to use it to make hydrogen”

But what about the energy required to make hydrogen??

As I’ve pointed out in a previous post, you can offset electricity with a home PV Solar array.

I’d agree that comparison with a 2.0 ltr car at typically 100kws is a bit ambitious.

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:21:47 +0000

Interesting concept, however for people to actually want to buy it the range needs to increase 3 fold and the price to decrease 3 fold.

And lazybones, why so negative on the looks man? How many bread bins come with aircon and sat nav……..I could be the coolest baker in town!

By: Reckless1

Reckless1 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:03:58 +0000

Interesting.

I think they are being a bit generous to themselves when they compare the carbon emissions to a 2.0l vehicle though.

It isn’t really as green as they claim, a more realistic comparison would be with its 660cc brother, which probably emits less CO2s per 100ks.

Manufacturing and disposal of the batteries is also probably not very green.

If you must use generated electricity for fuel, my choice would be to use it to make hydrogen, and spend the infrastructure money on hydrogen refilling stations not fast chargers.

By: lazybones

lazybones — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:55:18 +0000

I like the idea of an electric car and being able to drop my pants in the direction of the OPEC countries and saying kiss that. But rule 1 of any electric car is:-

IT MUST LOOK LIKE A CAR, Not a bread bin riding on baby pram wheels.