Subaru Wants to Sell Only EVs by Mid-2030s

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

The majority of automakers are choosing to set a firm plan in place for the future by coming out with a roadmap that includes a large number of electrified vehicles. Others have been slow to do so. Subaru is one of the few that's in the second category. The automaker only released its second gas-electric vehicle with the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. While slow to electrify its vehicles or come out with an electrification plan, Subaru has finally joined the majority of the industry with some noble goals.

Subaru's Getting Serious About EVs

According to a technical briefing that occurred in Japan, Subaru stated that it wants to have at least 40 percent of its global sales figures to be made up of electrified vehicles, whether those or hybrid or all-electric models. Around the mid-2030s, Subaru is looking to offer every model it sells to be available with some sort of electrified powertrain. That, though, doesn't mean Subaru has plans to ditch the internal combustion engine entirely. A Subaru spokesperson told Car & Driver that the brand's statement "does not mean we will [offer] full electric vehicles only."

At the event, Subaru also unveiled a rough concept of an electric crossover that will hit the market by 2025. The electric vehicle will jointly be developed with Toyota, which shouldn't come as a surprise, since the two automakers worked together to bring the new Crosstrek Hybrid to market. It's possible that Subaru would once again borrow electrified powertrains from Toyota for its upcoming EV.

Toyota also has plans for upcoming electric vehicles. The automaker recently stated that it would come out with six new electric cars between 2020 and 2025. Working on electric vehicles together would help the brands save some money and come up with better electric cars.

"I think that the market for electrified vehicles will take some more time to form in the U.S. Only Tesla's EVs are selling well," Subaru CEO Tomomi Nakamura said to reporters. "But I think a trend toward electrified vehicles will emerge, without doubt, so we would like to make preparations for that."

Expect Subaru To Remain Subaru

Subaru being Subaru, we still expect to see some of the brand's iconic features. Think all-wheel drive and a boxer engine. The automaker's spent a lot of money perfecting and marketing these features, so surely these will be here to stick around for years to come.

Why the sudden change of heart from Subaru? Well, apparently, the automaker's really looking to reduce its carbon footprint. The brand is looking to bring its average well-to-wheel CO2 reduction down nearly 90 percent from levels from 2010.

The introduction of an electric crossover would mark the very first electric car from Subaru ever. The only plug-in hybrid (electrified) car that Subaru currently offers is the Crosstrek Hybrid. So Subaru is behind the curve when it comes to electrified vehicles. To that end, the automaker is also planning to come out with a "strong hybrid" vehicle with Toyota's technology that will hit the market before the end of the decade.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods