Subaru Hybrids and EVs

nice looking vehicle. what's the starting range and msrp?

 

that's an interesting way to sell a vehicle

 

Just made a reservation for a Limited. I thought Premium would be more economical, but I can't live without Heated Front/Rear Seats, Heated Steering Wheel. I am not going to use much HVAC heating in winter to save the EV range. Comes May, if the price is much higher than Mach-E AWD then, I will cancel and switch.

 

Ioniq 5 AWD has 256 miles EV range meaning only 179 miles range from 10-80%. Is 25 miles longer good enough? In my neighborhood, that makes absolutely no difference.

Mach-E Select eAWD (~$47K MSRP) range is 224 miles. Mach-E Premium eAWD with extended range battery ($7K more) has 277 miles of EV range. If I pay $4K more for Mach-E eAWD California Rt1 trim then the EV range is 312 miles. But are they really better than Subaru for over $10K more cost?

Unless a BEV range gets over 300 miles in winter (meaning I need 500 miles EPA-rated EV range considering a 40% loss of range in winter), a BEV is not for a road trip.

 

According to the Ford website, -DC Charging: Up to 150kW capability. But I have read reviews by owners that it slows way down as it approaches 80% SoC. Still, the faster DC charging speed has no merit for me. Three are no charge stations around where I live. Until the charging infrastructure vastly improves, for me, a BEV is strictly for a commuting car for less than 100 miles trip.

 

... and that is in good weather, not the foul road conditions where I really want a Subaru. So it likely won't safely meet my primary day ski trips needs without a recharge.

 

From downtown Seattle, one ski complex is just over 100 miles roundtrip and 3000 feet of climb, but the two other and better main areas are about 160 miles roundtrip and 4000 feet of climb, leaving this Subaru model with little or no winter range safety margin.

The charge stations I see are already in full use on weekdays, even without the heavier weekend crowd. Each resort would need to very greatly expand their charging capacity. And/or install that charging capacity at lower level satellite lots with more shuttle capacity to the hills, in which case AWD doesn't add much value.

While there are numerous skiers living closer who could make good use of this, it is simply too marginal or short for the majority of Western Washington skiers. So around here, Tesla's better ranges would keep eating Subaru's lunch until upgraded capacities become available.

 

If the past relationship is any indication, Toyota may partner with Charge Point again. PP had $100 Chargepoint credit when it was initially introduced back in 2017. For me that was just a piece of paper, for there was and still is no Chargepoint station around where I live. I have owned PP for almost five years now but have not yet used a public charge station for my car. Only place I have charged my car outside of my own home is at my work.

Yeah, the key here is "in winter". My commuting is only 18 miles, and my workplace now has a charge station, so most time, PP is all I need for EV commuting. The problem is that PP in cold weather has reduced range and has a tendency to start the engine no matter what I do. Any BEV with over 200 miles of range would be sufficient for my commuting and around-town errands. In fact, a base LEAF with 150 miles of EV range is probably sufficient for that need. The problem becomes more apparent when I have to drive out-of-town trips (not necessarily a road trip). Some dealer visit is over 100 miles one way. The closest airport is about the same distance. If I have to visit my closest (distance-wise) family, that's over 300 miles.

 

Really looking forward to this as I've been wanting a Subaru EV for as long as I can remember. Our area probably won't have it until next year, but I am certainly interested in a test drive.