Is Subarus First EV The New Solterra? No, Meet The 28 Year-Old Sambar EV [Video]

What was Subaru’s first battery-electric vehicle? Many will be surprised that it’s not the all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra compact SUV EV available in the U.S. now. Instead, according to Subaru Corporation, the Sambar EV, which appeared in 1995, was the Japanese automaker’s first electric vehicle.

According to Subaru, the Sambar EV was an electric vehicle based on the fifth-generation Sambar that is still sold in Japan today. By using a portable charger that used a single-phase AC 200V power supply, it could be fully charged in eight hours and had a cruising range on a full charge of 93 miles when driving at a constant speed of 24 mph.

Subaru says one of its best characteristics was the excellent quietness that made use of the rear engine layout of the base vehicle. In addition, by adopting a double floor structure, the motor and auxiliary equipment noise was blocked, further improving quietness. The Sambar EV “realized an easy-to-use, flat cargo spaceby devising …