Subaru emerges from Toyota's shadow. The manufacturer unveiled an electric prototype on its own platform
In short:
Subaru has unveiled the first prototype vehicle based on technologies developed primarily in-house
The brand was previously closely tied to Toyota
The concept car features two electric motors that together generate over 510 horsepower
The manufacturer is announcing a new platform, more powerful engines, a lighter battery, and its own electronic architecture
When will it debut? Likely by the end of the decade
Subaru wants to operate on its own terms
The Japanese are embarking on a new chapter, but one that belongs to their own electric vehicle history. During a presentation at a test track in Sano, north of Tokyo, the Japanese manufacturer unveiled for the first time a battery-powered car prototype utilizing technologies developed under its own R&D program. This indicates that the brand intends to gradually move away from Toyota, its largest shareholder and long-term technology partner, according to Automotive News.
Recall that until now, Subaru’s electric vehicle push has relied primarily on joint projects with Toyota. The result of this collaboration have been models such as the Solterra, Trailseeker, Uncharted, and Getaway. This allowed the smaller manufacturer to leverage the scale, R&D capabilities, and production capacity of its much larger partner (editor’s note). In 2025, Subaru sold 923,873 vehicles worldwide, while Toyota exceeded 11.3 million units.
New things are coming at Subaru
The company now aims to build its own capabilities in the field of electric vehicles. As Takatomo Watamori, the executive director in charge of technical development, emphasized during a presentation, this is crucial for maintaining the brand’s identity. “By developing vehicles independently and owning our own technologies for electric cars, we can deliver to customers the sense of safety and driving pleasure that define Subaru more quickly, even in times of such rapid change,” he said, according to Automotive News. He added that the most important aspects are the technology’s ability to adapt flexibly and engineers’ readiness for continuous evolution.
The showcased test vehicle hides a new architecture beneath a bodyshell similar to that of the Outback model. The most important element is a completely new, dedicated platform for electric vehicles. According to Subaru, it is lighter, stiffer, and provides higher levels of protection for passengers and the battery in collisions. Engineers also claim a weight reduction of about 100 kg compared to current solutions.
What’s under the hood?
The prototype uses two electric motors developed in collaboration with Aisin. The front motor delivers 150 kW of power, while the rear one provides 230 kW. Together, they generate 380 kW, equivalent to around 517 horsepower, enabling a 0-to-100 km/h acceleration in less than four seconds. Engineers emphasize that the new e-axles are more compact and lighter than those currently in use, with their efficiency expected to be 30 percent higher than the market average — according to aiada.org.
Similar ambitious claims apply to the batteries. The pack developed in collaboration with Panasonic Energy uses around 4,000 cylindrical cells. According to Subaru, the new battery is 25 percent lighter than the previous version, and its target energy density is expected to exceed the industry average by 20 percent. However, the manufacturer has not yet revealed the battery’s capacity, range, or charging specifications. It was also emphasized that the vehicle shown is merely a test platform and does not reflect the final specifications of the production model.
Innovative Platform
The new Subaru electric vehicles are also set to feature an original electronic architecture. The company is working on an integrated control unit, or ECU, that will manage driver assistance systems, the powertrain, the chassis, and multimedia systems. This solution is designed to enable over-the-air remote updates and serve as the foundation for the next generation of the Eyesight system utilizing artificial intelligence. Subaru has collaborated on this project with American semiconductor manufacturer AMD.
Importantly, the brand’s strategy is not limited solely to electric mobility. Meanwhile, Subaru is developing new internal combustion engines for future hybrid and gasoline models. The goal is to achieve a thermal efficiency of 50 percent. For comparison, the most advanced modern internal combustion engines currently exceed 40 percent, with only a few units operating mainly as power generators in hybrid systems reaching 50 percent.
When will it debut?
It’s not known yet, as company representatives did not specify a date, but they hinted that some of the showcased technologies might go into production around 2029. This is part of a broader growth plan aimed at increasing global sales to 1.2 million vehicles per year in the first half of the next decade.
Oskar Włostowski