"There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field": Subaru to co-develop three more electric cars with Toyota

Toyota and Subaru will co-develop three more electric cars in the next few years.

The two Japanese companies are fresh off the launch of the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X electric SUV twins and have confirmed more models are on the way.

Subaru boss Atsushi Osaki said the company wanted to reduce its risks on EV investment by partnering on future models according to Automotive News.

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“At the moment, it is quite difficult to predict how things will go from here with EVs. There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field. We have held talks with Toyota and have agreed that it is better to reduce risks through joint development,” said Osaki.

Subaru Australia’s then Managing Director Blair Read told CarsGuide earlier this year there will be more co-developed electric cars before the company goes it alone.

“Within the first wave of EV products there will still be some co-development. That partnership has provided some really great results for both brands and meant advancements in technology and engineering but also respecting brand differences,” said Read.

“As part of the [company’s] investment out to 2028 there will be a number of those new models that will be Subaru unique and with Subaru unique engineering.”

Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley has previously said the company is aiming to launch three electric models by 2026, which matches the timeline for co-developed models. 

An electric version of the Ascent large SUV could be an option.

It is believed one of the future models could be an electric version of the seven-seat Toyota Kluger SUV.

Subaru has been missing a large family SUV in its local line-up since the short-lived Tribeca was cut from its local range.

The model could be an electrified version of the Subaru Ascent, which is sold in America in seven- and eight-seat layouts.

That model is expected to be built in the US, where large SUVs are more popular. The electric Kluger is slated to be produced in the company’s Kentucky factory.

Toyota showed off the bZ3X earlier this year.

Another model could be a compact SUV dubbed the bZ3X, which is a similar size to the Toyota Corolla Cross and Subaru Crosstrek.

The bZ3X was shown at the 2024 Beijing auto show and would be a good fit for the Australian market.

A third SUV could be slightly smaller and cheaper replacement for the Solterra and bZ4X to better match the Forester and RAV4 SUVs.

Subaru is also borrowing Toyota hybrid technology for its range of cars.

The Japanese brand is expected to install Toyota’s popular petrol-electric tech into the Forester and Crosstrek SUVs next year.