The Fuji Heavy saga: FHI 'may suspend' output of Stella EV

From the Japan Times/Kyodo News: Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. is considering suspending production of its only electric vehicle, sources said Monday (so said Bloomberg, Fuji Heavy denied the report later that day).

Details including the timing of the suspension have not been decided, but the maker of Subaru brand cars could suspend production of the EV when the automaker stops manufacturing the Stella minivehicle, the EV's base car, the sources said.

Fuji Heavy plans to withdraw completely from minivehicle production sometime around 2012.

Fuji Heavy began selling the plug-in Stella electric vehicle to corporate customers and local governments in July 2009 with a sales target of 400 units by the end of March 2011.

The Stella EV, manufactured at a plant in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, is priced at ¥4.73 million.

Fuji Heavy is seeking to launch a plug-in gasoline electric hybrid vehicle, which can be recharged using a household electrical outlet, in the mid-2010s.

The automaker is seeking support from its top shareholder, Toyota Motor Corp., an industry leader in the development and marketing of gas-electric hybrids.

Read more...

READ MORE - The Fuji Heavy saga: FHI 'may suspend' output of Stella EV

Fuji Heavy Industries denies it will halt electric vehicle sales

Fuji Heavy Industries, the manufacturers of Subaru, has announced it hasn't halted sales or development of electric vehicles, spokesman Fusao Watanabe said by phone from Tokyo today, quoted by Bloomberg.

Earlier on, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper, also quoted by Bloomberg, reported that the automaker will suspend sales of plug-in electric vehicles for as long as five years because of a scarcity of charging facilities and the price of lithium-ion batteries, citing the company.

READ MORE - Fuji Heavy Industries denies it will halt electric vehicle sales

Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru) halts electric vehicle sales until 2016

Tweet this post UPDATE: FUJI HEAVY HAS DENIED YOMIURI'S REPORT: From Bloomberg: Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (manufacturers of Subaru) will suspend sales of plug-in electric vehicles for as long as five years because of a scarcity of charging facilities and the price of lithium-ion batteries, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, citing the company.

Its plug-in Stella cars have been offered to corporations and local governments. The automaker plans to re-enter the market around 2016, the report said.

Read more...

READ MORE - Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru) halts electric vehicle sales until 2016

VIDEO: Honda debuts solar powered plug-in charging station

Tweet this post Honda has announced it is conducting real life tests on its network of solar powered plug-in charging stations in Japan's Saitama Prefecture.

The company is also developing smaller sized solar hydrogen stations for individual costumers that could fit in a garage.

Watch the video after the jump, from NTDTV:

Share

READ MORE - VIDEO: Honda debuts solar powered plug-in charging station

AMS Terra Brings the Space Invader Theme to Honda's CR-Z Hybrid Coupe

This is AMS's take on the new Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupe/hatch, and it's called the Terra. The CR-Z, which already looks nice as a cute little sporty hybrid, has been dropped on 19-inch RAYS Versus Torismo Rechente one-off rollers that have been finished in piano black and pearl white.

The front of the car gets a new front bumper - with or without a license plate holder- and some "eyeline garnish", while both front and rear fenders have been widened (15 mm and 70 mm, respectively). Also, the side sills get their WIDE on to the tune of 30 mm.

Up above, there's a roof lip and rear hatch spoiler. The rear of the car is where the magic really happens, though: the Terra gets an alien-inspired rear diffuser with twin center exhaust outlets for the sports muffler.

Although the performance of the car hardly requires such aggressive and excessive styling, it's nice to see people at least taking a stab at it.

Interested in taking your sporty hybrid to the next visual level? Expect a full painted kit (including exhaust bezels and the diffuser-mounted tail light) to run well north of $5,000.

By Phil Alex

Via: Farm of Minds , Source: AMS Terra / Minkara

READ MORE - AMS Terra Brings the Space Invader Theme to Honda's CR-Z Hybrid Coupe

Overkill? Wald International's Bentley Continental Flying Black Bison

This time, Japan's Wald International has set its eyes on the Bentley Continental Flying Spur luxury sedan with the introduction of a Sports Line Black Bison styling package.

The makeover includes a new front bumper with added air vents and LED daytime running lights, side skirts, a revised rear bumper with -you-guessed it- air ducts and something that's supposed to resemble a diffuser, nifty quad-pipe exhaust and a rather subtle carbon fiber boot lid spoiler.

The package is completed by a set of trim spoilers on the front and rear side windows plus carbon fiber pieces on the B-columns, and Wald's own multispoke alloy wheels.

Via: Autoblog.nl

READ MORE - Overkill? Wald International's Bentley Continental Flying Black Bison