The New Subaru Solterra-Baja EV You Want In Your Garage Next Year
With the EV battle heating up and Subaru Corporation's announcement to build a dedicated EV plant by 2027, is it time for Subaru to bring back the Baja pickup in an all-electric platform? What about a new Solterra-based all-electric compact pickup? We recently showed a Brattera EV compact pickup pictured below, but it may be too small for customers.
Check out a new rendering of an all-new Subaru Solterra Baja EV pickup from our friend Mike Nichoson who designed the new pickup below. We think an all-electric pickup is what Subaru Corporation needs to build for Subaru of America.
photo credit: Mike Nichoson
The small pickup segment is growing in the U.S., and many are available now or will hit the market soon. Subaru was way ahead of the curve with the Baja pickup, but now they are lagging. It's time to resurrect the Baja and use the Solterra platform.
The compact pickup segment is heating up
The all-new Ford Maverick just introduced is already a success; the compact pickup is already sold out for months, and Ford hasn't even started selling the base XL model ($19,995) yet. The Maverick will also come in a hybrid powertrain and should get around 40 mpg in city driving.
photo credit: Subaru Braterra pickup - Mike Nichoson
New EV pickups are on the way
The Rivian R1T is the first purpose-built electric pickup to hit the market, months ahead of the Ford F-150 Lightning. Automotive News reports that Ford is increasing production as it scrambles to meet consumer demand for the new electric truck. The upcoming full-size Chevrolet Silverado EV and Tesla Cybertruck are coming soon.
About the same size as the Ford Maverick, the all-new gas-powered Hyundai Santa Cruz offers another compact pickup in the U.S. that the South Korean automaker will likely convert to an electric model in the near future.
Subaru will be left out of the hot pickup segment if the automaker doesn't act soon, but Subaru Corporation is stepping up its EV plans. Subaru CEO Tomomi Nakamura announced last week that they will add a dedicated in-house EV assembly plant in Japan by 2027. A report from Automotive News (by subscription) says Subaru Corporation will make a multibillion-dollar investment in electrification over the next five years. Check out the complete information here.
Subaru will manufacture new all-electric all-wheel-drive vehicles for U.S. customers and other global markets. Nakamura said they are still contemplating what kind of segment or models the upcoming EVs will be and did not offer a production capacity figure for the new EV production facility. He said they would start small with room to expand over time, the AN report said.
We want to lobby Subaru to build a new Solterra Baja EV pickup for U.S. customers. Would you buy a new 2024 Subaru Solterra all-electric compact pickup if the automaker offered one next year? Let Subaru know what you think in the comments below.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Photo credit: Mike Nichoson
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