Toyota and Subaru will jointly develop a BEV-dedicated platform for future vehicles.

Toyota Motor Corporation and Subaru Corporation will jointly develop a platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for midsize and large passenger vehicles, and to develop a C-segment-class BEV SUV model for sale under each company’s own brand. The two companies will apply Subaru’s all-wheel-drive technologies and Toyota’s vehicle electrification technologies to create attractive products with the appeal that only BEVs can offer.

Since 2005, Toyota and Subaru have worked together in various sectors, including development, production, and sales. For instance, the sale of the jointly developed rear-wheel-drive Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ in 2012. Another example is the start of sales of Subaru’s Crosstrek Hybrid original plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) in the United States, which utilized knowledge related to Toyota’s HEV technologies.

The automotive industry is moving more towards a CASE domain (connectivity, autonomous, shared, and electrification). Now, both companies will focus on the urgent need to respond to CASE’s “E” domain, or electrified powertrains and components. For this, Toyota and Subaru will have to consider:

• Energy situations in each country or region;
• Government policies;
• Environmental regulations;
• Infrastructure preparation and construction;
• The market needs for electrified vehicles;
• The efficient and speedy development of appropriate products;
• Use of large-capacity batteries;
• Demands of a new dimension placed on battery supply;
• Maximum cruising ranges; and
• Sales methods with a new approach.

Toyota and Subaru will follow a business model that will cross over industrial boundaries together with various types of other entities that share their goals. The first step will be to develop a BEV-dedicated platform that can be broadly applicable to multiple vehicle types, including C-segment-class and D-segment-class sedans and SUVs.