Subaru’s first foray into electric vehicles has a name: Solterra.
The Japanese automaker’s first EV will be an SUV similar to its all-wheel drive predecessors, but entirely electric. Its name literally means “sun” and “earth” to convey environmental consciousness, according to a press release.
It’ll be on sale some time in 2022 in the U.S., Canada, China, Europe, and Japan, but Subaru didn’t share other information like the price and battery capabilities.
Subaru is partnering with Toyota on its first electric venture. Toyota announced last month that its first electric vehicles would be arriving later this year in Japan and China and then later in the U.S.
Backside look.
Image: subaru
Toyota has been rather timid in the electric space after pioneering hybrid cars with its Prius. But now it’s launching an electric Beyond Zero line, starting with the bZ4X SUV concept car. It has plans to unveil seven electric cars by 2025.
Subaru is well-known for its rugged compact SUVs, and that type of car is certainly in demand. A CarGurus survey from earlier this year found that nearly 70 percent of more than 1,000 car owners would consider an EV (or hybrid) if it was an SUV.