[bob E]

I feel like I'm in a Solterra information desert: no new info in US news; no new info in Japanese; dismal production numbers for Subaru in Japan (Subaru Corporation Announces Production, Japan Sales and Export Results for February 2022 | NewsRelease | Subaru Corporation).

A ray of sunshine might be that the yen is at a six year low as compared to the dollar (Japan, US to communicate closely on FX as yen hits 6-year low). Might Subaru keep the price of the Solterra lower because it was produced in Japan? Or is it more likely that Subaru will take advantage of the yen/dollar exchange rate and use the windfall to placate US Subaru Retailers?

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I have another hobby. Every once in a while, the Japanese companies for this hobby have their engineers write in depth manuals on their hardware. Not shiny marketing glossies. Here's an example of one: https://www.kenwood.com/usa/Support/pdf/TS-480 In-Depth-Manual.pdf

Hey Torque News writer, if you are reading this, could you reach out to Subaru of America and ask them to ask Subaru's engineers in Japan to write an in depth technical document about the Solterra, perhaps discussing some of the design decisions that were made? Not IP info, but it'd be nice to read what Subaru's engineers think of the Solterra. (Yes, I've seen one Subaru On Tube video with a couple of Subaru engineers, but it was mostly fluff.)

 

[Griff]

Yes, we definitely are mushrooms in the desert. However, we have information on some "NO"s. No spare. No glove compartment. No rear wiper. Obviously trying to minimize weight on a vehicle that will start at over two tons.
Yesterday I filled the tank on my 2020 Outback and the range showed at over 550 miles, twice that of the Solterra. That is probably the main drawback most of us are looking at. For commuters, the Solterra will be ideal. For long trips, some decent planning will be in order.

The current crop of EVs, including the Subaru, will soon be obsolescent as lighter, more powerful batteries and ultra fast charge times become the norm. We can only hope that Subaru does not try to make a financial killing on it's first EV and turn off buyers.

 

[3rdsubieguy]

Yes, we definitely are mushrooms in the desert. However, we have information on some "NO"s. No spare. No glove compartment. No rear wiper. Obviously trying to minimize weight on a vehicle that will start at over two tons.
Yesterday I filled the tank on my 2020 Outback and the range showed at over 550 miles, twice that of the Solterra. That is probably the main drawback most of us are looking at. For commuters, the Solterra will be ideal. For long trips, some decent planning will be in order.

The current crop of EVs, including the Subaru, will soon be obsolescent as lighter, more powerful batteries and ultra fast charge times become the norm. We can only hope that Subaru does not try to make a financial killing on it's first EV and turn off buyers.

Oh no no no……Solterra will be a great EV all thanks to the batteries! Pay attention to the weight of these new EVs coming to market, you will see Solterra is the best size for a compact vehicle! Ultra fast charging will wear out the batteries faster and if you notice once the charging reaches 80 percent it all slows down! What’s the hurry… we all have to change our lifestyle with these EVs! This is how we go green!

 

[barrak]

Yes, we definitely are mushrooms in the desert. However, we have information on some "NO"s. No spare. No glove compartment. No rear wiper. Obviously trying to minimize weight on a vehicle that will start at over two tons.
Yesterday I filled the tank on my 2020 Outback and the range showed at over 550 miles, twice that of the Solterra. That is probably the main drawback most of us are looking at. For commuters, the Solterra will be ideal. For long trips, some decent planning will be in order.

The current crop of EVs, including the Subaru, will soon be obsolescent as lighter, more powerful batteries and ultra fast charge times become the norm. We can only hope that Subaru does not try to make a financial killing on it's first EV and turn off buyers.

Last time I needed to change out a flat tire was back in summer 1995, so I'm not terribly upset about losing the spare tire on the Solterra considering the weight saving. However, going off-road on 20" wheels is asking for trouble. I would pack in one of the spare winter/summer sets for such an excursion.

Curious to know the effect of mismatched wheel/tire sets on EV drivetrains. I know it's a big no-no for the ICE Subaru AWD systems.

 

[BoxerPwr]

Last time I needed to change out a flat tire was back in summer 1995, so I'm not terribly upset about losing the spare tire on the Solterra considering the weight saving. However, going off-road on 20" wheels is asking for trouble. I would pack in one of the spare winter/summer sets for such an excursion.

Curious to know the effect of mismatched wheel/tire sets on EV drivetrains. I know it's a big no-no for the ICE Subaru AWD systems.

Same, it's been a long time where I've had to change a flat tire in a situation where I immediately needed to use a spare.

I'd have to think the same thing with mismatched tires applies for EVs as well. I wouldn't want to do that with my Solterra at least.