Subaru becomes latest carmaker to double down on making more affordable EVs

Subaru is a brand that is determined to make its mark in the arms race of affordable EVs.

The Japanese carmaker, like others, has seen the rise in demand from the public for more affordable EVs.

Rivals firms such as Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia have all broken ground in competing in this growing segment of the car market.

And the latest reports appear to signpost a move into that market for Japan’s marque.

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Could Subaru move further into Uncharted territory?

Just last week, Subaru unveiled the Uncharted; the brand’s new electric SUV.

Despite such a launch being so soon, the marque might be gearing up for a new addition to the range.

Reports suggest that the Japanese brand is looking at adding a smaller, entry-level EV to anchor its lineup.

This idea was actually revealed by the global EV product manager of Subaru himself.

Inoue Masahiko spoke to Autocar last week recently following the launch of the aforementioned Uncharted.

He mentioned the possibility of the brand launching affordable EVs to sit below the Uncharted.

“It’s something that is up for consideration, because we need to prepare a wider range of BEVs to meet every customer’s expectation,” Masehiko explained.

Furthermore, Subaru’s European boss, David Dello Stritto, confirmed that a B-segment affordable EV entry would be something worth looking into for the Japanese brand.

Dello Stritto warned, however, that Subaru needs to see how well the Uncharted performed before any further affordable EVs are added to the current range.

What makes the Subaru expansion into affordable EVs even more intriguing is the brand’s partnership with Toyota.

The two Japanese giants currently collaborate on a number of different vehicles.

Both brands currently work on the Subaru Solterra and the Toyota bZ4X electric SUVs.

The Japanese brand has serious competition in world of affordable EVs

But Subaru is going to face some serious competition if it intends to expand into producing more affordable EVs.

Other automakers are currently competing for the burgeoning affordable EV segment of the market.

BYD has stormed onto that stage, with its affordable options leading it to become a dominant name in the world of affordable EVs.

Renault’s 5 EV, which launched earlier this year at a cost of $31,000, has already secured over 35,000 sales this year alone.

There is also much good news for South Korea’s representatives in the affordable EV market.

In fact, Kia’s EV3 is currently the sixth best-selling EV in Europe, just ahead of the aforementioned Renault 5.

Hyundai’s Inster EV also cracked the top 20 for best-selling EVs in Europe this year so far.

Subaru has a lot of competition in the world of affordable EVs.

But if its Uncharted proves to be a hit, then it will likely be very confident about its chances.