Subaru And Toyota Will Collaborate And Develop Three New EV SUVs

It appears that Japanese automaker SUbaru is poised to ramp up its EV development plans, and it will continue collaborating with Toyota for which.

Subaru is set to continue collaborating with Toyota specifically in the development of electric vehicles (EVs). Moreover, both Japanese automakers also recently confirmed plans to jointly develop three new EV SUV models.

Subaru says the reason behind this decision stems from the firm’s desire to reduce risks, especially in the face of an uncertain EV market.  This decision is also believed to be inspired by both firm’s efforts in developing the Solterra - a Subaru-rebadged twin of the Toyota bZ4X EV crossover SUV. 

“Through this approach of joint development, joint production, and joint supply, we will ensure flexibility in the areas of development and production while mitigating risks with Toyota Motor Corp. at a time when it is difficult to clearly predict future trends.” said Subaru CEO Atsushi Osaki when speaking with Automotive News Europe about the matter.

Subaru recently confirmed plans to develop three new EV SUV models by 2026, and all will be jointly developed with Toyota.

Although Subaru has reported a 75% increase in operating profit and a 15% increase in global sales in its recently published yearly financial results, the sales of Solterra EV crossover SUV only contributed 0.02% to those numbers. 

The automaker aims to reach its long-term goal of a 50% EV sales mix, and it seeks to achieve it by expanding its EV line-up with more SUVs. On that note, Subaru also recently confirmed plans to roll out three new EV SUVs by the end of 2026, followed by another four by the end of 2028. 

Subaru's sole EV SUV model, the Solterra (left), is actually a rebadged twin of the Toyota bZ4X (right).

From which, the first three will be developed by Toyota, whilst the second wave of four models could see Subaru developing them in-house.  One of the upcoming SUVs will be manufactured at Subaru’s Yajima plant in Japan, whereas another will be produced in North America  by Toyota.

The latter American-base production effort, rumoured to be a three-row electric crossover, will likely roll out of Toyota’s plant in Kentucky by 2025. Crucially, this effort will see said model qualify for federal EV tax credit from the American government - a key boost for Subaru, especially in its largest sales market.

Additionally, Subaru says that the brand’s next generation e-Boxer hybrid powertrain will go into production in Japan in later this year, followed by production in America starting in 2026. Subaru CEO Osaki also noted that though Subaru is moving further in the direction of EVs, they still think it's necessary to offer internal combustion (ICE) powertrain choices in their future line-up. KR