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Customers who want an all-electric 3-Row SUV from Subaru won't wait long. Subaru is ramping up and accelerating its EV plans again. A report from Automotive News (by subscription) says Toyota will build a new three-row electric crossover in 2025 in Kentucky for Subaru shortly after it starts making its version, which is tentatively called the bZ5X, said people with knowledge of the plans.
The new EV will not be an electric version of the Subaru Ascent 3-Row SUV now being sold to its U.S. customers. It's an all-new model. The report says the name and other details of Subaru's 3-Row electric SUV have yet to be announced, though the Japanese automaker said in May that it planned four battery-powered SUVs in its lineup by 2026.
Related Story: Subaru Says 4 New EVs For U.S. By 2026 In A Rapid Electric Ramp Up
The new Subaru SUV is expected to receive its batteries from the Toyota plant under construction in Liberty, N.C., scheduled to begin production in 2025.
The joint development and production strategy between Toyota and Subaru gives its customers in the U.S. a larger EV while allowing Subaru to run at full production at its U.S. assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana. Subaru of Indiana Automotive manufactures the Outback midsize SUV, Crosstrek Sport, Limited, and new Wilderness subcompact SUV and Legacy sedan.
True to form, Subaru is not talking or releasing any information on the new 3-Row EV. A spokesman for Subaru of America declined to comment, the new report says.
During Subaru Corporation's midterm meeting with analysts and journalists, Subaru's new CEO Atsushi Osaki said they are adding future EV output in the U.S. but would not confirm specific models or production sites.
Check Out This Related Story: Subaru Ramps Up Its U.S. EV Plan - Now 8 New Electric Models Are Coming For Customers
Atsushi Osaki said Subaru was still considering its approach. "As a matter of course, we have been collaborating with Toyota on BEVs for a long time," Osaki said. "So, we will make use of that know-how in producing BEVs. We have yet to consider whether the two companies will jointly manufacture BEVs in the U.S."
Related Story: New Subaru Boss Says They Will Now Sell 400,000 All-New EVs A Year By 2028
More Subaru EVs are coming.
At the meeting, Osaki announced the new accelerated EV plan. Osaki also said Subaru will expand its EV lineup to eight models, up from an earlier envisioned plan of four new EV models. The new EV goals are significantly ramping up from Subaru's previous electrification plan.
If the new report is accurate, Subaru will add a new electric 3-Row SUV built in Kentucky by Toyota for U.S. customers by 2025. Stay tuned.
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Denis Flierl brings over thirty years of combined auto industry and automotive journalism experience to Torque News readers. He is an accredited Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) member. The last twelve years have been spent with Torque News, covering Subaru vehicles and the latest news. Check back daily for his expert Subaru analysis. You'll find the latest stories on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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