Subaru has previewed its first in-house electric vehicle (EV) platform developed independently from Toyota, its partner on its first three EVs, and confirmed it has plans to introduce it under showroom models from 2029.
As reported by Automotive News, Subaru demonstrated the dedicated EV platform at a test track in Japan. The engineering evaluation vehicle wears the body of an Outback wagon, modified to accommodate the new platform’s longer wheelbase.
Toyota owns a 21.46 per cent share of Subaru, making it the smaller Japanese automaker’s largest shareholder. The two companies have partnered to bring Subaru’s first three EV models to showrooms: the Solterra, Trailseeker and Uncharted electric SUVs.
The test prototype showcases platform and other technologies that will underpin the first Subaru EVs developed without the direct involvement of Toyota, and signals Subaru’s intention to go it alone with future EVs.
“By developing vehicles in-house and having EV technologies on our own, we can quickly deliver to our customers the peace of mind and driving pleasure that define Subaru, even in this era of change,” Takatomo Watamori, executive officer in charge of engineering, told Automotive News.
“What matters is whether the technology itself can adapt flexibly, and whether our engineers themselves can change and evolve.”
The all-wheel drive test vehicle uses two e-axle drive units developed with Aisin, which also supplies Toyota. The front motor produces 150kW, while the rear delivers 230kW.
The combined 380kW output gives the test vehicle a claimed 0-100km/h time of less than 4.0 seconds. This makes it quicker than Subaru’s fastest model sold in Australia, the Trailseeker electric SUV, which was launched here earlier this year with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.4 seconds.
The Trailseeker was the second Subaru EV to arrive in Australia, followed by the Uncharted this year. Both joined the Solterra, the brand’s first EV locally, for which order books opened in late 2023 ahead of its March 2024 release.
All three electric SUVs were developed with Toyota. The Solterra is closely related to the Toyota bZ4X, the Trailseeker to the bZ4X Touring, and the Uncharted to the electric Toyota C-HR, which is due to arrive here in 2027.
A fourth EV, the Subaru Getaway, shares its underpinnings with the electric Toyota Highlander sold in other markets. The Highlander name is used overseas for the large SUV that Australians know as the Kluger, but the Getaway has not been confirmed for this market.
Subaru Australia’s three current EVs use 74.7kWh CATL lithium-ion batteries. Maximum claimed WLTP range is 566km for the Solterra, 533km for the Trailseeker, and 522km for the Uncharted.
The test car’s battery was developed with Panasonic Energy and comprises 4000 cylindrical cells. Subaru claims a 25 per cent weight reduction compared with its previous battery.
Subaru says it is targeting energy density that’s 20 per cent above “the industry average”, but did not disclose the specific battery chemistry, capacity or driving range.
Separately, while it will reportedly axe its iconic boxer petrol engines in Europe after 2027, Subaru says it is continuing to develop combustion engines, targeting thermal efficiency of 50 per cent.
Subaru is also developing its own integrated electronic control unit (ECU), working with US-based Advanced Micro Devices on a custom chip.
The integrated ECU will support artificial intelligence (AI) technology and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), including future technologies for Subaru’s EyeSight system.
This vehicle ‘brain’ will also manage powertrain, chassis and infotainment functions, while enabling over-the-air software updates.
Subaru retains its goal of EVs accounting for 50 per cent of its annual global sales, but now expects to reach that milestone after its original 2030 deadline.
It has also reconsidered its previous ambition to offer eight EVs globally by the end of 2028 and is reallocating a planned ¥1.5 trillion (A$13.6 billion) investment in electrification to include next-generation petrol- and hybrid-powered models. It has already invested ¥300 billion (A$2.7bn).
“Given the increasing demand for hybrids and the reappraisal of internal combustion engines, it is appropriate to delay the timing of full-scale EV mass production investment,” Subaru president Atsushi Osaki said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Subaru announced plans to phase out its mild-hybrid e-Boxer technology in favour of strong-hybrid powertrains incorporating Toyota technology. The newer system retains the e-Boxer name.