Subaru begins production in Japan of the e-Outback that we will see in Europe

Subaru has started production at its Gunma Yajima plant in Japan of the brand’s first electric vehicle developed entirely in-house by the company. It is the mid-size SUV Trailseeker EV, unveiled in the United States in April last year. A model that will also reach the European market, but under the e-Outback name.

Unlike the Solterra, developed and produced jointly with Toyota, the new e-Outback is a genuine Subaru. The Japanese manufacturer made a significant investment in its Gunma Yajima plant to make this project possible, which led it to begin adapting the assembly line last summer until completing this work, as planned, last January. The end result is a flexible mixed line capable of producing petrol, hybrid and fully electric vehicles simultaneously.

The new e-Outback is based on the eTNGA platform, the result of the alliance between Subaru and Toyota in electrification. According to the Japanese manufacturer, in Europe this model will have a dual electric motor setup and all-wheel drive with a combined output of 280 kW. It will also be equipped with a 74.7 kWh battery pack, thanks to which it will be capable of covering up to 450 km under the WLTP homologation cycle, according to the manufacturer. This figure, however, is an estimate pending official homologation, so as is usually the case it will probably be somewhat higher.

Born for adventure

The vehicle stands out for its off-road capabilities thanks to the 21 cm of ground clearance it offers. In addition, it is capable of towing a trailer of up to 1.5 tonnes, which positions it as a perfect vehicle for the more adventurous, surpassing the Solterra in this respect, which is more focused on road journeys.

For the time being, the e-Outback is not available for orders and the Japanese manufacturer has not yet announced its official price list, as the European homologation process is still pending. This model will not, however, be the only electric vehicle from Subaru that we will see shortly on the European market. The Japanese manufacturer already confirmed some time ago the sale in the Old Continent of the compact Uncharted, developed in this case in collaboration with Toyota as with the Solterra. For now, however, it is not known exactly when its production will begin or which plant will be chosen for it.

Expanding Subaru’s range in Europe with electric models is of particular importance for the Japanese brand. According to some analysts, in 2025 the brand’s fleet recorded an average of 169.9 g/km of CO2 in the EU, well above the target of 91.3 g/km and above that registered by other manufacturers.

Without pooling agreements with other groups (such as Tesla, Toyota or Stellantis), Subaru is obliged to drastically accelerate the adoption of low- or zero-emission vehicles in order to avoid penalties during the 2025-2027 compliance period.