A CAR enthusiast has given viewers a sneak peek at what lies under the hood of the new all-electric Subaru Solettra.
In her most recent TikTok post, car expert Jill Ciminillo treated her inquisitive audience to a sneak peek inside the 2024 Solettra, with a price starting around $45,000.
Ciminillo, who has over 100,000 followers on her TikTok account, answers a simple question about whether or not the electric Solettra has a frunk.
A frunk is a storage compartment in the front of a vehicle where the car’s engine would be located.
“I’ve been test-driving the Subaru Solettra this week, and I know someone is bound to ask me whether this vehicle comes with a frunk. So, I thought we’d take a look,” Ciminillo shared.
But to the surprise of many, the all-electric model does not feature frunk space.
“Whoop, yeah, there is no frunk here,” she added.
“Instead, you have some electricals under here. That orange stuff means don’t touch it, it is your wiring for the battery.
“You do have some fluid, so you would want to change your washer fluid here.
“But for the most part, yeah, there’s no extra storage here. There is no frunk in the Subaru Solterra.”
The engine sight shocked several TikTok users as nearly all EVs have a frunk, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
“That’s disappointing why not have a frunk on an EV,” one person commented.
“I’m currently leasing one, and so far, I’m really enjoying the experience! I think they could have easily incorporated a frunk if they had been a bit more imaginative about it,” remarked another viewer.
However, other viewers were more distracted by the steering wheel’s design.
“Why does every nice electric car have a weird shaped steering wheel? Is that a requirement?” wrote one person.
A second said, “The steering wheel looks like Puegeot’s cars.”
“The steering wheel layout is lowkey like Peugeot,” another agreed.
“Same steering wheel and screen as the [Toyota] Prius,” a fourth said.
Electric vehicles vs gas
Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles
EV PROS:
- Convenient (when charging at home)
- Cheaper (depending on state or city)
- Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
- Great for commuting
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Federal and state tax incentives
- More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)
EV CONS:
- Higher initial cost
- Higher insurance rates
- More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
- Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
- Low resale value
- High depreciation rates
- Lack of charging infrastructure
- Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
- Poor winter and summer performance
- Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
- Range anxiety
GAS PROS:
- Highly developed refueling infrastructure
- Fast refueling
- Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Established repair industry
- Lower initial cost
- Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
- Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
- Cheaper refueling, depending on the location
GAS CONS:
- Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
- Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
- Higher repair costs
- Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county
Source: Car & Driver, Perch Energy, AutoWeek
