Subaru to Test Waters with All-New All-Electric Solterra EV

Subaru recently released its first electric vehicle, the all-new all-electric 2023 Solterra. Subaru’s first EV looks very promising. According to the Japanese automaker, the goal was to create an EV that incorporated everything consumers love about a Subaru. This included the rugged capability along with the engaging driving experience that makes a Subaru so iconic. With its first EV released, Subaru has now found itself with an important decision to make. Will Subaru continue to invest in the EV sphere, or will the automaker slow its production and continue to update and provide consumers with combustion engine vehicles? Many automakers have been moving toward EVs given the global climate crisis. Governments around the world have also created incentives for reducing carbon emissions and producing zero-emission vehicles. Subaru has gotten its feet wet, but the automaker is weary about heading into deeper waters. Depending on how well the 2023 Solterra is received, Subaru will make its decision on its future electrification plans.

Subaru Waiting to Gauge Consumer Interest for Solterra

Subaru’s all-new all-electric 2023 Solterra was recently revealed. The EV SUV looks to be everything Subaru fans love about Subaru. It takes all the aspects of Subaru’s unique technology and creates a capable and practical vehicle that emits zero carbon emissions. Subaru is excited for consumers to test and drive their new EV. One concern for the Japanese automaker, however, is whether to continue forward with their initial electrification plans. Several years ago, Subaru stated that it was aiming to electrify at least 40% of its vehicles by mid 2025. Recently, Subaru Corporation CEO Tomomi Nakamura said that Subaru is going to wait and see how customers respond to the 2023 Solterra before determining its electrification plans. Speaking further about this, Nakamura said,

“So we know that we have to shift or accelerate this plan. Based on how the market receives the new Solterra EV, we can plan for what kind of ratios (50-60 percent) we should target for EVs and hybrids,” Tomomi Nakamura.”

Subaru plans to initially release the 2023 Solterra in California in the middle of 2022. The Japanese automaker will then make the new EV available in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, Vermont, New York, and several other states. The reason for this limited availability is that the Solterra will be limited to U.S states that have adopted California's ZEV emissions program. This will help Subaru gauge interest from their loyal customers. For the 2023 Solterra, Subaru collaborated with Toyota. This joint venture seems to be more of a convenience factor however as Subaru wants to continue on solo for future vehicles. It seems for now, Subaru is simply weighing their options. About this Nakamura said,

“Of course, the EV era will eventually come. And at that point, it will require investment for developing our own EVs. But we want to know when the market will be mature for EVs. We want to be a smart follower in this area and not really on the front line.”

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Photo Credit: Subaru
Source: OG Blog