The 2023 Subaru Solterra The brands first widespread offering of an all-electric vehicle; also related to Toyotas bZ4X. This time, Toyotas bZ4X, the brands first fully electric crossover, made its US debut at the LA Auto Show. The next 2023 Subaru Solterra is set to become Subarus first all-electric car when it goes on sale in 2022 as the 2023 model year. The 2023 Subaru Solterra, named after combining Latin words for sun and earth, is built on Subarus new Global Platform for Electric Vehicles, an all-electric car architecture.
No new electric 2023 Subaru Solterra compact SUVs were delivered to customers in the United States, with the majority of 2,600 vehicles being reserved for Subaru dealers, intended for test driving and demonstration purposes. Subaru plans to offer vehicles with the new hybrid and all-electric drivetrain technologies in the U.S. first, before other regions, so Subaru could introduce the Subaru Solterra to the U.S. market first.
Subaru plans for 40% of global sales to come from electric or hybrid vehicles by 2030. Around the middle of the decade, Subaru also is set to launch new-generation hybrid models, powered by gasoline-electric drivetrains supplied by Toyota.
Unlike the Solterra, electric cars produced during the later part of the decade will be made by Subaru directly. Subaru will start making its own electric vehicles at the Yajima Plant in Japan, mixed production with internal combustion vehicles, starting in mid-2020. These models, which could include Subarus Solterra, will feature enhanced driver assistance systems to help ensure safety, connectivity vehicle tech, and AI-enabled technologies, according to recent Subaru announcements.
Other key features on The Subaru Solterra include 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, digital keys, a heat-pump-type air conditioning, an AWD control system with X-Mode, and traction control. The Subaru Solterra features the Subaru Models dual-function X-Mode system, which allows the driver to adjust vehicle components to certain driving conditions such as snow/dirt and deep snow/mud. Along with being powered solely by electric energy, the next Subaru Solterra from 2023 has an all-wheel-drive system using two electric motors generating 215 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. Its first fully-electric crossover is yet another collaborative effort Subaru has undertaken alongside Toyota, meaning some of the design, particularly in terms of interior bits, looks very much Toyota, whereas the exterior, chassis, and all-wheel-drive system are all Subaru.
Subaru has used a unique faux-hexagonal radiator grille, as well as a signature bumper, to differentiate the Subaru Solterra from Toyotas bZ4X. Subaru While Subarus go for the rugged, outdoor feel, Toyotas newly introduced 2023 bZ4X skews toward the city-oriented.
Subarus 2023 Solterra crossover has less horsepower than many rivals, but it is likely that Subaru buyers will find themselves more likely to find themselves in that sort of outdoor paradise rather than on a drag strip. We cannot testify to 2023 Solterras reliability–it rides on a brand-new, electric-only platform (Subaru calls the brand-new E-Subaru Global Platform, Toyota calls it e-TNGA) without any record–but there seems to be some robustness. Subaru needs to make strides on the next few electric cars if it hopes to remain competitive, but Subarus 2023 Solterra crossover has the best off-road qualifications among the all-wheel-drive EV crossovers in the class. Both Japanese companies are generally more reserved and deliberate about pushing into new territories, but its first fully electric crossover offers an intriguing glimpse at what Subaru believes the future may hold for off-road-capable EV crossovers.
Its first fully electric car, according to Subaru, will be capable of up to 228 miles on the highway, and it can recharge 80% of the battery pack in less than an hour. Subaru reports its first battery pack for all-electric cars will carry an aggregate of 72.8 kilowatt-hours, giving the electric vehicle a claimed 222-228 miles range per charge. While Subaru has not disclosed just how large the Solterras battery pack is, nor what amount of usable capacity it has, Subaru is estimating driving range in excess of 220 miles on a single charge. The company is touting the first fully electric car as having “go-anywhere” capabilities, but my preferred camping location is 108 miles away from my home, and there is a Level Two, single-port charger available at any point on that roughly two-hour drive.
While Subaru does not offer any EVs at this point, Subie enthusiasts do not have too much of a wait: The manufacturer is preparing to launch its first fully electric car, the 2023 Solterra, at the end of the year. Many other carmakers have already made the leap into electric vehicles, but Subaru has a fairly modest goal: only 40% of sales will be electric cars and hybrids that run on gasoline worldwide by 2030, and 90% of all CO2 emissions will come from Subaru vehicles by 2050. While Subaru has had a hybrid-powered car available since 2013, Subaru has not released a full-electric car.
We would expect Subaru to build less than 7,000 Solterras through the 2022 calendar year. All Solterras will be AWD, and Subaru plans to roll them out midyear to all 50 states, and then let the market decide which dealerships deserve to receive a higher allocation.
It will utilize Toyotas technologies, but will integrate Subaru values like all-weather capabilities, AWD, off-road adventure, a low center of gravity, and fun behind the wheel. Subarus Electronic All-Wheel Drive System, the electronic version of Subarus famous Symmetrical AWD, is called StarDrive for the Subaru Solterra crossover in 2023.