Toyota, a beloved brand in North America, where it conducts two-thirds of its business, is collaborating with Subaru on future electric vehicles. Following their work on the compact bZ4X and Solterra SUVs, rumors suggest the two companies may introduce up to three all-electric SUVs by 2026.
Some of these models will likely be larger than the bZ4X and Solterra, with Toyota investing heavily in its Indiana plant to produce vehicles potentially the size of the Highlander and Grand Highlander with two or three rows of seats.
However, the shift might also focus on smaller, more affordable EVs. With many automakers moving away from ultra-expensive, large EVs, the trend is towards creating smaller, budget-friendly models. Ford, for instance, has delayed the launch of its second-gen EV pickup truck and large EV SUV to develop a cheaper platform for affordable EVs.
Subaru could benefit from the potential sales boom of affordable small EVs. Vince Burlapp, a virtual artist known for his automotive creations, envisions a future Subaru compact EV crossover. Although this is speculative, such a model would compete with the next Chevrolet Bolt EV or EUV, a new Ford, the Rivian R3, and possibly a smaller Tesla than the Model 3 and Model Y.