Subaru has confirmed that it's going to start making all-electric cars, and its first such model will be a battery SUV aimed specifically at Europe.
Europe-focused
That's quite a turnaround for a car maker which has often been accused of ignoring the European markets in favour of its home Japanese market, and the US market where it is at its most successful. Subaru tends to sell in only very small numbers in Europe (although, interestingly, its market share in Ireland is higher than its market share in the UK) but also tends to have loyal customers, who come back for more cars.
Shared platform with Toyota
So far, we don't know much about this new electric model, although we do know that it will be built on the same e-TNGA platform, shared with Toyota, and which will also underpin a new RAV4 sized electric crossover from Toyota. Toyota has also said that its crossover EV is specifically designed for and aimed at European customers.
Will it be called Evolis?
According to Autocar magazine, media outlets in Japan are already christening this new electric Subaru the Evolis, but it's not known if that name will be carried over for production. We also don't know how far it will go on a charge, but given that Volkswagen and Skoda are already offering the ID.4 and Enyaq with circa-500km range, then it surely follows that Subaru will have to match that, or at least come close to it.
Subaru says that it's already taken one step towards electrification in Europe, with the introduction of mild-hybrid versions of the Forester, XV and Impreza, which currently account for 60 per cent of all of its European sales.
The image Subaru has released shows a relatively conventional five-seat medium crossover, with a battery pack mounted under the floor, and an electric motor up front. Peer closely at the image, and you can also see the bright orange colours of what appears to be an electric motor between the rear wheels too, which would indicate that Subaru, as with so many others, is going to offer its four-wheel drive models with two motors.