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The 2023 Subaru Solterra was delayed because of the recall in June, but the all-new electric compact SUV is on the way now. A report revealed Toyota finally found the fix for the wheels coming off the Solterra and its twin bZ4X.
A new report from Automotive News says Toyota is considering increasing production of its first mass-market battery-electric vehicle starting in 2025. Three sources close to Toyota, with knowledge of the developing plans, spoke to Automotive News anonymously because the information was not public.
The report says Toyota will ramp up its output of the bZ4X, and the increase in production will also include the Subaru Solterra, made on a shared production line at Toyota's Motomachi plant near its headquarters.
The Japanese automaker is considering increasing production of the bZ4X electric compact SUV by as much as six to twelve times from its current monthly output of a little more than 1,000 cars. The report did not say how much the Subaru Solterra all-electric model output would increase.
Automotive News said, "Both the current and potential production numbers include those of the Subaru Solterra, which is made on the same platform." The three sources said that Toyota plans to add another production line for the two electric SUVs at another plant near its headquarters, the Takaoka factory.
Subaru had plans to sell about 6,000 Solterra EVs in the U.S. in 2022, with capacity expected to increase in 2023. The entire Solterra allocation for U.S. retailers is sold, and customers now have to wait for 2024 models.
The 2023 Subaru Solterra arrives soon
The 2023 Solterra is offered in three trim levels, Premium, Limited, and Touring. Pricing for the Solterra Premium trim level starts at $46,220. The Limited trim carries a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $49,720. The top-of-the-line Touring trim is priced at $53,220. Prices include destination and delivery fees ($1,225). Subaru says US retailers set the actual price and may charge more.
If the three source's information is accurate, by 2025, more new Subaru Solterra EVs will be available for U.S. customers and other global markets. Toyota and Subaru declined to comment.
What's next for Subaru's EV plans?
Subaru announced they will begin making their own EVs in mixed production with internal combustion vehicles at its Yajima plant in Japan by 2025. Automotive News says Subaru will begin offering hybridized powertrains sourced from Toyota by 2025 and will build battery-electric vehicles itself in a new factory in Japan in the latter half of the decade.
In 2027, Subaru will build a dedicated EV factory on the site of its Oizumi plant in Japan and produce its own all-electric and hybrid vehicles. But it will rely on its current lineup of Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, and other combustion-powered models and the Solterra until then.
If Toyota and Subaru can secure needed components, including semiconductors, the Solterra EV will likely get a much-needed boost in production by 2025.
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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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Photo credit: Subaru USA
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