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Toyota, Subaru to launch new electric SUV in 2026, expanding EV partnership

To optimize costs, the new SUV will share certain components with the bZ4X and Solterra models.

Toyota and Subaru are set to unveil another co-developed electric SUV in 2026, expanding their collaborative offerings in the electric vehicle (EV) market. This new model will join the existing bZ4X and Solterra in the global lineup and will be available in North America, Europe, and Japan as both automakers aim to capture a larger share of the growing EV market.

The partnership between Toyota and Subaru began with the launch of the bZ4X and Solterra models in May 2022, both built on the e-TNGA platform and featuring unique branding from each automaker. According to a recent report from Nikkei, the upcoming electric SUV is a strategic response to the competitive landscape of the EV market. Subaru CEO Atsushi Osaki emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field.”

Production of the new electric SUV is slated to begin in January 2026 at Subaru’s Yajima plant in Japan. Production capacity is planned to increase by 15,000 to 20,000 units per month. To optimize costs, the new SUV will share certain components with the bZ4X and Solterra models.

Subaru has ambitious goals for its EV lineup. By 2030, it targets 50% of its global sales—approximately 600,000 units—to be all-electric vehicles. This represents a significant increase from its previous goal of 40% for hybrid and electric vehicles combined.

In related developments, Toyota has postponed plans to produce its three-row electric SUV in Kentucky, with production now expected to start in the first half of 2026, a delay from the original plan to begin production in 2025.

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Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell is a staff writer/reporter for CBT News. She is a recent honors cum laude graduate with a BFA in Mass Media from Valdosta State University. Jaelyn is an enthusiastic creator with more than four years of experience in corporate communications, editing, broadcasting, and writing. Her articles in The Spectator, her hometown newspaper, changed how people perceive virtual reality. She connects her readers to the facts while providing them a voice to understand the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the digital world.

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