Subaru may release a compact electric car if Uncharted proves successful

Subaru has just one electric model right now, the Solterra, but next year it will become the "middle" model in the brand's new trio of electric vehicles. The compact Uncharted and the more spacious family Trailseeker will take places lower and higher in the line-up. And if the new products show good results, Subaru will have a chance to release an even more compact model - a B-class electric car.

Here's What We Know

When asked by Autocar about this prospect, Subaru's global EV division head Inoue Masahiko said, "It's an option being considered because we need to offer a wider range of BEVs to meet the expectations of different customers."

Subaru's European division head David Dello Stritto confirmed: the company is open to launching a subcompact electric car, especially amid a wave of low-cost urban EVs preparing to debut in Europe. The Renault 5 E-Tech has already been unveiled, and will soon be joined by the Volkswagen ID.2, Cupra Raval, MG 2 and even the electric Dacia Sandero. And then there are mini-electric cars like the Renault Twingo EV, its cheapo sibling from Dacia and Honda's new kei-car-style model.

But Subaru isn't going to rush into anything. The company's management says it will take about two years to see how Uncharted performs. During this time, new ideas may appear.

All electric Subaru so far are based on platforms developed together with Toyota, so the compact electric car is likely to be built on the same principle. Meanwhile, Toyota itself is working on an electric Yaris, but isn't officially talking about it yet. Toyota Europe representative Andrea Carlucci admitted that such a project exists, but did not disclose details.

If Subaru decides to launch a B-Class EV, the name could be taken from the past. For example, Justy or E-Justy is a familiar name for European and American customers.

Source: Autocar