LAUREN FERRI
22 January 2020
DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and REUTERS
Subaru made announcement it will be selling fleet of electric-only vehicles
They aim to have their entire range electric only by the middle of next decade
The move is a push towards the company’s long-term goal of being carbon-free
Australia’s car market is set to change forever after Subaru announced it will only be selling electric or hybrid powered vehicles by 2035.
The move is a push towards the company’s goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
While the brand moves towards an all-electric lineup it aims to have 40 per cent of its sales as electric or hybrid by the end of this decade.
The company plans to launch its first petrol-electric vehicles in Australia this coming March, with the Subaru XV and Forester hybrids costing $35,580 and $39,990.
The innovative Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) feature identical petrol-electric engines that add a new dimension and choice to Subaru’s range.
Subaru Australia Managing Director, Colin Christie said: ‘While we initially see both our e-Boxer mild hybrid system models as niche options in our range, we’ve already got significant interest from fleet customers and also Subaru fans who have long indicated pent-up demand for new technology engine options.’
‘Of course all this new technology is underpinned by our customer must-haves: fun, safety, reliability and great engineering,’ he said.
‘And we’re confident that the wonderful retained value and whole-of-life cost benefits enjoyed by other new Subarus will also carry over to our hybrids.’
The news comes as Subaru has strengthened capital ties with Toyota Motor Corp, in a trend of global automakers joining forces to slash development and manufacturing costs of new technology.
To supplement the mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars already in its lineup, Subaru plans to develop a so-called ‘strong hybrid’ vehicle using Toyota technology and intended to debut later in the decade.
It is also developing an all-battery electric car with Toyota for release around the same time.
‘Although we’re using Toyota technology, we want to make hybrids that are distinctly Subaru,’ Chief Technology Officer Tetsuo Onuki told a briefing.
‘It’s not only about reducing CO2 emissions. We need to further improve vehicle safety and the performance of our all-wheel drive.’
Subaru said that by 2030 at least 40% of its cars sold worldwide will comprise battery electric vehicles or hybrids.
The Japanese automaker, which produces the Outback and Forester SUVs, is known for its horizontally placed boxer engines, along with its EyeSight autonomous driver assist and all-wheel-drive technologies.
Car manufacturers worldwide are scrambling to chase scale, manage costs and boost development of the self-driving cars, electric vehicles and new mobility services that are upending the industry.
‘Subaru’s strong commitment and dedication towards car-manufacturing that we have cultivated throughout our history remain unchanged,’ President Tomomi Nakamura added.
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