Accordingly, the two largest automakers in the world, Toyota Motor and Subaru, will launch a jointly developed electric vehicle in Japan, the US and Europe in 2026.
With electric vehicle prices still high, the two automakers aim to reduce production costs and shorten development times by standardizing key components.
Accordingly, production is expected to begin around January 2026 at Subaru's Yajima plant in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with a production capacity of about 15,000-20,000 vehicles per month.
Previously, in May 2022, Toyota and Subaru cooperated to develop an electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) and launched this model under the names Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.
It is understood that the new electric vehicle will also be an SUV, using parts from the bZ4X and other models to minimize costs. It is expected to be sold mainly in North America, Europe and Japan.
In May 2024, at a press conference, a representative of Subaru also announced that the company would cooperate with Toyota on the supply of four electric vehicle models before the end of 2026. Realizing the difficulties in developing electric vehicles independently, Subaru will strengthen its product portfolio with support from Toyota.
By 2030, Subaru aims to sell 600,000 electric vehicles per year and electric vehicles will account for 50% of its global sales.
Meanwhile, Toyota recently announced that it will postpone the start of production of electric vehicles (EVs) in North America to June 2026, due to design adjustments and slowing EV sales.
Production could begin as early as 2026 instead of late 2025, Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said. Toyota also plans to introduce five to seven battery-powered EVs in the US over the next two years.
