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The all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra arrives mid-2022, and it will be the automaker's most important new vehicle launch ever. As the automotive industry moves away from the internal combustion engine and toward electric models, Subaru is waiting to see how customers respond to its first-ever all-electric SUV and determine its electrification plans.
In a new report from Automotive News, Subaru Corporation CEO Tomomi Nakamura says the target of 40 percent electrified vehicles by mid-2025 to 2030 was made two years ago. They will now rethink their electrification goals.
Nakamura says, "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."
The 2023 Subaru Solterra will launch in California and then be available in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington State, and Washington DC, Vermont, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Colorado.
The Solterra's initial availability will be limited to U.S. states that have adopted California's ZEV Emissions program. This will give Subaru of America a good idea of how its first all-electric compact SUV is accepted by its loyal customers.
Nakamura went on to say, "We are trying to focus on what customers want and what benefit they need from an EV, and we want to follow our customers' needs."
Will Subaru accelerate its EV plans?
Nakamura says, "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."
Will Subaru build more new EVs with Toyota?
The Solterra EV is a joint project with Toyota, but that doesn't mean Subaru will build new EVs with the Japanese automaker. Nakamura says, "As EVs become more mainstream, Subaru will stop being a collaborator and be more of a competitor with Toyota."
The new 2023 Subaru Solterra is the most important new vehicle launch in the Japanese automaker's history. The new all-electric compact SUV's success will determine how fast or slow Subaru moves to a fully electric lineup.
Let Subaru know in the comments below what you think of the 2022 Solterra EV SUV and your needs and wants for your next all-electric vehicle.
You Might Also Like: How The New Subaru Solterra Will Quickly Gain A Key Advantage Over All EVs
Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Comments
Hope you change your
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Hope you change your availability and include Wisconsin for the Solterra. If not I will be inclined to purchase the Toyota model.
Hi Jeff, the limited states
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In reply to Hope you change your by Jeff Sorensen (not verified)
Hi Jeff, the limited states part of this article is wrong. It will be available to all customers. Dealers have the option to become EV certified and you can reserve it on subaru.com and select your dealer of choice starting in late january
I agree with Jeff. I live in
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In reply to Hope you change your by Jeff Sorensen (not verified)
I agree with Jeff. I live in Wisconsin and would love to see this model. I would change in my 2014 Subaru Outback for it when it becomes available.
You can always buy it in a
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In reply to Hope you change your by Jeff Sorensen (not verified)
You can always buy it in a different state and register it there in Wisconsin
Subaru has a lot of loyal
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Subaru has a lot of loyal customers in Texas. This one will be purchasing an electric car in 2022. Looks like it won't be a Subaru.
Hi Bob, the limited states
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In reply to Subaru has a lot of loyal by bob E (not verified)
Hi Bob, the limited states part of this article is wrong. It will be available to all customers. Dealers have the option to become EV certified and you can reserve it on subaru.com and select your dealer of choice starting in late january
John, where did you hear/find
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In reply to Hi Bob, the limited states by John (not verified)
John, where did you hear/find the info about reservations? I’ve been searching and can’t!
Its not public yet. It was in
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In reply to John, where did you hear/find by Clayton (not verified)
Its not public yet. It was in a memo to dealerships. Keep an eye on subaru.com around 1/17 :)
Thanks for the info.
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In reply to Hi Bob, the limited states by John (not verified)
Thanks for the info.
It will be interesting to see if *any* Subaru dealers in Texas become EV certified.
Please add Virginia to your
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Please add Virginia to your list. I want to replace my wife’s Subaru next year
What no Florida?
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What no Florida?
Not surprised about FL. It's
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In reply to What no Florida? by john konder (not verified)
Not surprised about FL. It's more about jacked up trucks and Ford Expeditions, than it is about ecology or common sense.
Glad to see Pennsylvania on
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Glad to see Pennsylvania on the list. If there is any way possible that I can afford it I will be purchasing the Solterra. I have been driving a Subaru for over 30 years now and wouldn't buy anything else.
Good idea moving forward as a
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Good idea moving forward as a business, but they could have used a product that is blatantly more desirable than this, the solterra is a rav 4 with a suby badge on it, they should have at least used the inpreza/crosstrek or outback line to start
Why cannot u buy the car
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Why cannot u buy the car where it's offered and then register it in the state that they don't offer it. DOnt people move states for jobs?
We say that EV is the way to
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We say that EV is the way to go, but did anyone think on how to recycle the batteries used for these cars and what is the process to extract the raw materials to make these batteries, I feel this is gonna be the biggest issue of the future and contaminating the planet EARTH, I feel Fuel Cell is the future, EV is not when it comes to Environment.
Jeg har hatt subaru siden
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Jeg har hatt subaru siden 1986 13 stk tilsammen for det meste outback.
Kjørelengde bør være minst 500 km for 4-hjulstrekkeren. Solterra vil i tilfelle være aktuell å anskaffe høst 2022.
Vennlig hilsen
Holm Birger Holmsen
The solterra will not be
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The solterra will not be limited to those states. it will be available to all dealers who opt in to their EV certification requirements. They will have a national online reservation system where customers can order and select their preferred certified EV dealer.
As a loyal Subaru customer,
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As a loyal Subaru customer, if it's true there's no spare wheel, I will be going with the Toyota Rav 4 Prime
As a long time WRX driver,
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As a long time WRX driver, will look for an EV with a little more kick for those special needs times. I would swap my wife's Impreza if the range was + 250 miles for some long range trips I take periodically.
As a customer of Subaru, I
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As a customer of Subaru, I appreciate the conservative approach. I would love to see an EV compact truck. Especially with the success, you have had with all-wheel drive vehicles. I would like to see something other than a station wagon option. Hopefully that's on the horizon since you have built that before. Does the new platform of the Soltera offer that as an opportunity for a compact EV truck? Has it been considered?
Looks like a Ford Mach E. I
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Looks like a Ford Mach E. I hope to see one in Canada sometime.
Please sell the Solterra here
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Please sell the Solterra here in Canada! Hope Subaru will bring back the BRAT/BAHA as electric trucks!
First time Subaru owner and I
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First time Subaru owner and I love my 22 Wilderness. Wife will need a new vigil every next year and wants an EV. We’ll give the Solterra a hard look when it arrives.
I'm a gear-head conservative
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I'm a gear-head conservative who has been a loyal Subaru customer since 1992. It's sad to see Subaru being forced to spend resources on an EV at this time, but I'm sure there are more far left luns driving Subarus than conservatives. Continued refinement of gas engines would be appreciated by all. This is not the time for EV's, it's too soon; a more realistic time for 50 percent of all sales being EV is 2050 or beyond.
What are the plans to
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What are the plans to bringing this vehicle to Australia? Also, will the battery system use a solid state battery giving more mileage between charges than what the traditional batteries used by other EVs? With Subarus being used as cars more inclined to go further from big cities, solid state batteries seem the better way to go.