Japanese automotive OEM Subaru said it will launch its first all-electric SUV to global markets in 2022.
Called Solterra, the vehicle is developed as a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota, built on a new, dedicated all-electric platform called eSubaru Global Platform that features Toyota’s vehicle electrification technology.
The name Solterra was created using the Latin words for sun and Earth. Subaru’s Solterra includes all-wheel drive and passive safety capabilities.
Automotive OEMs are shifting their priorities to electric vehicles (EVs) due to rising consumer interest in the technology (partially because of the popularity of Tesla Motors) and the concerns over climate change. Volkswagen is making a huge push with EVs and is expecting to sell roughly 450,000 EVs this year, more than double the output of 2020.
Electric will be the dominant models sold from all major OEMs in the next 10 to 15 years with General Motors making the decision in late January to phase out gas and diesel vehicles by 2035 and to sell only EVs. Ford followed this announcement as well, saying it would primarily sell electrified models. Volvo, Jaguar and Daimler have all said they will be primarily EV makers in the next decade.
Additionally, the Biden Administration vowed to transition all 645,000 government-owned vehicles to electric models and will build 550,000 EV charging stations to accommodate the nation’s push to electrification.
