Subaru launches the first ever electric vehicle – the Solterra SUV

The Solterra will share its platform and powertrain with the all-new Toyota bZ4X.

Photo courtesy Subaru

The all-wheel drive specialist Subaru has finally dipped its foot into the world of battery electric vehicles (BEV). Noticeably late in the EV party, the maker of boxer 4WD powertrain cars has partnered with Toyota to produce the Solterra, its first battery-electric vehicle, as the brand catches up with the rest of the industry. The name comes from ‘Sol’ which means ‘sun’ and ‘terra’ which means ‘earth’.

Earlier this month, CEO Tomomi Nakamura unveiled the Solterra in Tokyo, a sister SUV of the Toyota bZ4X that debuted a week earlier than the Subaru. While both electric SUVs sit on the same EV-dedicated “e-Subaru Global Platform” (although Toyota calls them e-TNGA), the bodies are subtly but strategically differentiated to generate a brand identity for both automakers. When developing the Solterra, partner Toyota provided connected and EV technologies, while Subaru provided the mix with its all-wheel drive technology.

The Solterra will be sold in the US, Europe, China and Japan along with Toyota’s bZ4X through mid-2022. The two classes available include the entry-level front-wheel drive car with a single engine producing 201 horsepower and 195 lb ft of torque and a 0 to 100 km / h time of 8.4 seconds. The twin-engine flagship Solterra, which employs Subaru-developed all-wheel drive technology, boosts power to 215 horsepower, torque to 248 lb-ft and reduces the time from 0-100 km / h to 7.7 seconds.

The front-wheel drive version reportedly has a range of 330 miles while the all-wheel drive version can travel 285 miles on a single charge, but more real numbers would be around 290 and 250, respectively.

Subaru has been working with Toyota for almost a decade and co-developed the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sports cars as early as 2012. With the joint development of the two brands’ very first electric vehicles, Subaru is now building its alliances with Japan’s No. continue from 1 car manufacturer to get used to the one-time switch to BEVs.

“We hope to be able to use the alliance to build technology and know-how” until the world market changes completely to battery electric cars, said Nakamura. However, the CEO believes that within a few years, BEVs will be an area where Subaru is directly competing with Toyota and others, so it needs to differentiate itself further.

In early 2020, Subaru reportedly said there wasn’t much evidence that Americans were interested in switching to electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, but now, with Toyota’s collaboration, the automaker is trying to increase its market share in the U.S. currently at around 4.2% last year.

In a 2020 statement on its future lineup, Subaru said it plans to offer electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, which would account for 40% of global sales by 2030 and 100% by 2035.