Subaru’s electric about turn, the Outback swaps its fuel tank for batteries
At Subaru, the long running symphony of boxer engines and symmetrical all wheel drive finally made room for the quiet hum of electric motors. The Japanese brand confirmed that series production of the all new E Outback has begun at its Gunma Yajima plant. It is a symbolic moment. Until now, Subaru’s electric ambitions rested largely on the Solterra, often dismissed as little more than a rebadged Toyota. This time, the company touched its most sacred nameplate, asking loyal fans to believe that the brand’s soul can survive at the end of a charging cable.
The transformation of the Gunma plant was anything but cosmetic. The overhaul began in the summer of 2025 and amounted to a full technological reset. Subaru opted for a pragmatic solution, building a mixed production line capable of assembling petrol models, hybrids, and fully electric cars side by side. That flexibility matters. If enthusiasm for electric vehicles cools, Subaru can quickly shift focus without leaving expensive facilities idle. It is a characteristically cautious approach at a time when many rivals committed everything to a single bet.
Familiar partners, familiar risks
The E Outback emerged from cooperation with Toyota, underlining a partnership that stretches back more than two decades. The alliance cuts both ways. Toyota’s vast technical expertise gives Subaru the support it needs, yet the challenge lies in preserving that hard to define Subaru driving feel customers expect. The E Outback forms part of a broader electric push that also includes the Solterra and the still mysterious Uncharted.
For European buyers, patience remains necessary. The first E Outbacks are scheduled to reach the continent in the summer of 2026. Until then, Subaru must rely on the loyalty of customers accustomed to taking their Outbacks deep into difficult terrain, trusting batteries as much as they once trusted mechanical all wheel drive.
For Subaru, this is a quiet test of faith. Can a brand built on engine character and mechanical honesty survive in a world where the roar under the bonnet gives way to software updates and silent torque. The answer will decide whether the Outback’s name continues into the electric age, or becomes a memory of a noisier past.
