by Subaru delays its own electric vehicles due to cooling demand in the US
Japanese automaker Subaru has announced a delay in the launch of its first fully proprietary electric vehicles. The reason is a sharp decline in demand for electric cars in the company’s key market — the United States.
Change of plans for 2028
Previously, the company planned to launch up to four independently developed electric vehicles and produce them at a new plant in Japan in 2028. Now, the Oizumi plant will initially produce gasoline and hybrid models, while electric vehicle production is postponed indefinitely.
Subaru has not yet announced exact dates for when these delayed electric vehicles might appear. According to Subaru CEO Atsushi Osaki, the company wants to continue monitoring market conditions before setting new launch timelines.
«In the US, our key market, the pace of BEV adoption has slowed, partly due to the easing of environmental policies. Given this, the market launch timelines for our BEVs will be delayed. We want to begin a comprehensive reassessment of the entire strategy, including which models to bring to market,» Osaki stated.
This is a significant turn for the company, which previously set a goal for electric vehicles to make up half of its global sales by 2030. The planned battery plant project together with Panasonic may also face delays, as the company reviews how much capital it is willing to invest in electric vehicle development.
Current electric vehicles are selling, but there is a catch
Currently, Subaru’s electric lineup still relies heavily on cooperation with Toyota. The 2026 Solterra model is based on the Toyota bZ platform, and newer models such as the Uncharted and Trailseeker were also developed through this partnership.
Paradoxically, Subaru’s electric vehicle sales in the US are not collapsing, even though America is being blamed for this reversal. Solterra registrations in North America even increased earlier this year. The real problem, it seems, lies in profitability. Subaru relies on significant incentives to sell electric vehicles, something the brand usually avoids.
At the same time, weakening demand for electric vehicles and policy changes in the US are forcing many automakers to reconsider aggressive electrification plans. Subaru joins a growing list of brands, including Honda, GM, and Stellantis, that are scaling back ambitious electric vehicle production schedules in favor of hybrids and internal combustion engine models that buyers actually want to purchase.
This change in strategy indicates that even manufacturers who previously invested heavily in electrification are being forced to respond to real market conditions. Although long-term emission reduction goals remain, short-term economic feasibility and consumer demand dictate the need for flexibility. For Subaru, this means focusing on what is profitable today, without completely abandoning an electric future, but postponing it for a more favorable time.
