Yahoo Finance Subaru confirms Solterra name for upcoming EV
Subaru has confirmed that its upcoming electric vehicle will be badged Solterra.
Jointly developed with Toyota, the Solterra will go on sale in Europe by the middle of next year, arriving as the first vehicle to use a dedicated e-Subaru Global Platform and as the Japanese firm’s first EV.
The Solterra is partnered with Toyota’s recently revealed bZ4X, with the pair sharing the same mid-size SUV shape and all-wheel-drive powertrain.
This new platform is crucial in allowing both Subaru and Toyota to roll out a variety of different EVs which can all utilise the same underpinnings. Subaru says that it has put an even greater focus on ‘superior passive safety and vehicle stability’ during the development process, too.
The platform also allows vehicles of different sizes to be developed while a variety of battery capacities can also be fitted.
As in the Toyota, expect the Solterra to feature a spacious cabin which brings a level of legroom that you’d find in a larger SUV. It comes thanks to a long wheelbase and short overhangs, while the location of the batteries low in the car means that they don’t intrude on cabin space.
The name Solterra comes from the combination of ‘Sol’ and ‘Terra’ which are the respective words for Sun and Earth in Latin. It’ll sit in Subaru’s line-up of vehicles alongside the Outback, Forester and XV models when it arrives next year. More details about the Solterra are expected to be released closer to that tine.
