Subaru: 4 new electric models by the end of 2026
Subaru is a car company that many accuse of not doing enough in terms of electrification. After momentarily offering us the disappointing Crosstrek PHEV, it launched a 100% electric vehicle, the Solterra, which doesn't really stand out from the competition and has limited distribution.
Subaru's new CEO, Atsushi Osaki, who took office in March, made some interesting announcements this week.
Among other things, he confirmed that the Oizumi engine and transmission plant will be converted to assemble electric vehicles starting in 2027 with an annual production capacity of 200,000 units. The Yajima Vehicle Plant will be able to produce the same number of vehicles once its new assembly line is operational in 2026.
In total, Subaru expects to produce up to 400,000 electric vehicles per year in Japan in just over four years.
More importantly, Osaki has announced that four new models will appear before the end of 2026, all of which should be marketed in North America. They'll all be SUVs, except we don't know much about them, unfortunately. One of them might look like an Outback and another might have three rows like the Ascent.
Coming back to the Solterra, which is similar in size to the Forester but not as tall, it was developed in conjunction with the Toyota bZ4X. Unlike the latter, it only offers an all-wheel drive configuration, in keeping with Subaru tradition. The power output is 214 horsepower and the range is 360 km. That's less than many rivals, as is the fast-charging capability. Towing is not recommended.
Let's hope that changes in the future. In the longer term, Subaru expects 40% of its global sales to be electric vehicles around the beginning of the next decade.
