01/26/2006

Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter

Author: CleanEdge.com

The Subaru B5-TPH, a new type of high- performance hybrid-powered vehicle, made its North American Debut today at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The B5-TPH concept vehicle features the company's emerging Turbo Parallel Hybrid (TPH) powertrain system and lithium-ion battery technology in a sporty two- seat grand touring car.

Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) has been developing the TPH powertrain for future mass production and will test-launch TPH-powered vehicles in the Japanese market in 2007.

Also at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, Subaru showcased a test version of its R1e urban electric vehicle equipped with next-generation long-life lithium-ion type batteries from NEC Lamilion Energy. That company was jointly established by NEC and FHI in 2002 for the development of secondary batteries. Designed to meet the needs of city mobility, the Subaru R1e is projected to achieve an 80% recharge in about fifteen minutes. The resulting charge can supply enough power to serve most daily commuting needs in congested urban areas.

The Subaru TPH powertrain in the B5-TPH places a thin, 10-kW motor generator between a vehicle's engine and its automatic transmission. The combination of the motor-generator and the turbocharged Subaru Boxer Engine creates a system that not only provides power in the mid-speed ranges when the turbocharger is active -- as with conventional turbo models -- but it also delivers excellent acceleration and fuel economy.

In order to bring out even better driving performance from the TPH, Subaru is planning to equip the system with high-performance manganese lithium-ion batteries.

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