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When the Ford Model T arrived on the scene way back in 1908 , it revolutionized the world by becoming the first mass-market automobile . Ever since that point in time , families in need of reliable transportation to travel wherever and whenever turned to the internal combustion engine .
Over a century later , much has changed in the world . While the transition away from fossil fuels has started , it ’ s going to take time . In the meantime , over the years , the world has seen electrified vehicles — first hybrids ( HEVs ), then plug-in hybrids ( PHEVs ), then battery electric vehicles ( BEVs ), become better and better .
Modern mass-market hybrid vehicles first came to market in the late 1990s , which is not that long ago in the grand scheme of things . But over the past 25 years , there have been significant improvements ; increased smoothness , more excitement and great efficiency overall .
We ’ ve also seen the advent of more plug-in hybrid vehicles with increased all-electric range and the arrival of all-electric vehicles with genuine everyday functionality . In the early days , BEVs were limited in their performance due to under-developed battery technology and other factors , including international politics . But with the arrival of lithium-ion battery packs for automotive applications about 15 years ago , the modern-day electric vehicle has since become a viable alternative .
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What ’ s more , with each passing year , BEVs get better and better . Traditional concerns such as driving range , recharging speed and the state of the public charging network are being addressed . Automobile manufacturers have had over 100 years to perfect the internal combustion engine ; it stands to reason that they ’ ve still got a few tricks up their proverbial sleeves when it comes to electric motors .
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All of this backstory brings us to the 2024 Subaru Solterra .
When the engineers at Subaru , working in partnership with their colleagues at Toyota , began the project , the goal was crystal clear ; The first global EV for Subaru needed to be a Subaru first , an electric vehicle second . This meant that the Solterra was engineered to deliver an authentic Subaru driving experience , despite having a completely different powertrain from “ traditional ” Subaru models .
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