Subaru has confirmed a goal of ensuring that all of its cars feature some form of electrification technology (either hybrid or pure electric power) by the mid-2030s.
It comes on top of an announcement that 40% of the company’s global sales will be electric or hybrid by 2030.
Tomomi Nakamura, Subaru president, said: “Even in this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation, Subaru’s strong commitment and dedication towards car-manufacturing that we have cultivated throughout our history remain unchanged. With the aim of making Subaru different from other brands, we will further hone the distinctive qualities that make a Subaru a Subaru, maintaining the unique attributes our customers have come to expect.
“At the same time, as we work to fulfil our social responsibilities, including the protection of the global environment, we will leverage Subaru’s unique character and technological innovation to contribute to the creation of a carbon-free society.”
The firm remains committed to its horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ range of engines, as well as its EyeSight driver assist systems and technologies. It means that as Subaru aims for electrification, it will continue to develop these technologies.
The current e-Boxer drivetrain is described by its maker as a ‘mild hybrid’, although that’s not strictly accurate based on conventional description of hybrid technology. The e-Boxer has an electric motor and battery, just like a regular hybrid vehicle, only much smaller. This means it can only provide very short bursts of electrical power to drive the wheels. In practice – if not in principle – it does act like a mild hybrid in using an electric boost to assist the petrol engine most of the time.
In addition to its pledge for electrification, Subaru has also stated a goal of reducing well-to-wheel CO2 emissions for its new vehicles by 90% for 2050 compared to 2010 levels.
Keyword: Subaru aims for 100% electrified range by mid-2030s