SUBBING IN A NEW BEV

Meet Subaru’s first-ever pure-electric car: the Solterra SUV

Subaru has provided a sneak peek at its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), the Solterra SUV.

It will be the first Subaru vehicle to be built on a dedicated e-platform jointly developed by Subaru and Toyota Motor Corporation. It’s a sister car to the previously revealed Toyota bZ4X.

The collaboration is designed to enable the rollout of different BEVs by combining multiple modules and components into one basic structure (Toyota has already confirmed seven bZ models by 2025).

The Subaru/Toyota partnership includes product planning, design and performance evaluation. The two companies claim they have combined their respective strengths: Subaru’s AWD expertise and Toyota’s vehicle electrification technology.

Subaru says it remains committed to delivering the “traditional Subaru SUV’s goanywhere capabilities in an allelectric vehicle”. The name Solterra was created by joining the Latin words “Sol” (sun) and “terra” (earth).

Subaru Corporation says it gave the EV the name “in appreciation of mother nature and to reinforce its intention to further advance coexistence with it, alongside its customers”.

The company has confirmed Solterra will go on sale mid-2022 in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Japan.

Subaru of New Zealand’s managing director Wallis Dumper says the Kiwi company is still working through the details of a possible local launch.

“Future electric vehicle projects form part of ongoing dialogue between Subaru of NZ and the factory. The Solterra news will no doubt excite many of our customers who are looking forward to owning a Subaru electric vehicle, however currently there is no timeline to share.”