Subaru Evoltis – The First Fully Electric Subaru

By Jeremy Zacharias 

Subaru, a company known for top safety ratings and industry-leading all-wheel-drive capabilities, is now thinking about its electric future. The Subaru Evoltis, as it was revealed in a January 2020 Tokyo press conference, will be co-developed with Toyota, similar to the BRZ/GT-86 sports car. The Evoltis represents Subaru’s first fully electric concept vehicle to enter a competitive segment. Subaru intends to have 40% of its global vehicle sales to be hybrid or electric by 2030, which is a longer time horizon than Subaru’s competitors, such as Volkswagen and Hyundai.  

What Is It?

The Evoltis, to stay true with Subaru’s functional ethos, will most likely be all-wheel-drive and boast a 280 horsepowerelectric motor. Range estimates put the Evoltis around the 300 mile realm, although the United States vehicles might have less range. 

Design and Specifications

The Evoltis will most closely resemble the size of the modernized Impreza Crosstrek, although the exact specifications have not been confirmed. The Evoltis design is angle-heavy, complete with curves and indentations, lending to its futuristic design. 

Roll Out

The world premiere of the Evoltis is tentatively scheduled for October 2021, which would coincide with the 2021 Tokyo Motor Show (COVID permitting). With a reveal in late 2021, consumers can hopefully expect first deliveries to be scheduled for early 2022, although a longer timeline closer to 2025 is more likely.

Final Thoughts

Although many details of the Evoltis are still unknown, it represents Subaru’s roundabout plans for its electric future. Subaru believes that the mass electric automotive market will need more time to develop, especially in the United States, so the company is not making any quick changes to its established boxer engine and all-wheel-drive technology in the near future. 

Time will tell if Subaru’s forecast for the mass electric market will be correct. If not, this decision may leave Subaru behind the times in the changing electric automotive market.