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Subaru lately introduced a pullback on its automobile electrification journey, however somebody forgot to cc followers of the model on the memo. Subaru of America racked up a record-setting tempo for its EV gross sales in April, and the automaker outdid itself in Might with a blistering 148% enhance in absolutely electrical automotive gross sales in comparison with the identical month final 12 months. That wasn’t purported to occur, contemplating the untimely demise of the $7,500 federal tax credit score within the US final September, however, properly…
Subaru’s EV Gross sales Are Going Up, Not Down
Full battery-powered autos nonetheless make up a vanishingly small proportion of Subaru’s total fleet within the US, so don’t get too excited simply but. Nonetheless, the automaker’s EV lineup at sellers expanded, not shrank, earlier this 12 months.
The automaker hit a brand new gross sales report for EVs in April primarily based primarily on its revamped Solterra EV. The automotive accounted for simply 949 items bought in April 2025, earlier than the tax credit score expired. The lack of the tax credit score was purported to smother EV uptake within the US, and it did to a big extent, however Subaru was among the many exceptions. This April noticed an after-credit, year-on-year leap of 18.9%, to 1,128 items.
Additionally contributing had been the corporate’s Trailseeker and Uncharted (pictured above) fashions. No April-to-April comparisons can be found for these two fashions since they had been solely simply delivered to sellers on this April, with Trailseeker accounting for 409 items bought and Uncharted accounting for 519.
Who Is Shopping for All These EVs?
Subaru nonetheless has an achingly lengthy method to go earlier than it catches as much as trade chief Tesla and the remainder of the front-runners. Nonetheless, the figures for Might point out that Subaru could also be on to one thing. In an attention-grabbing turnabout, gross sales of the Solterra dipped to 750 for the month, a steep downhill slide in comparison with the Might 2025 determine of 1,246. Nonetheless, gross sales of the Trailseeker and Uncharted greater than made up the distinction, with Trailseeker coming in at 1,074 and Uncharted main the pack at 1,270 for Might 2026.
Contemplating that April was solely the second month of gross sales for each the Trailseeker and Uncharted, that’s not too shabby.
The query is who’s shopping for these vehicles? Subaru prospects who have already got a Solterra and need one other Subaru EV? Or, perhaps prospects who drive a Subaru gasmobile are making the swap to electrical drive? May Subaru be attracting automotive consumers from different automakers, too?
The C-HR+ Story Behind The Uncharted EV
Readers, you probably have a Subaru or are Subaru-curious, what do you suppose? Who’s shopping for these vehicles rapidly? Drop a be aware within the dialogue thread together with your ideas whereas I attain out to Subaru. Perhaps they’ve some numbers to share on who’s shopping for what.
Within the meantime, an attention-grabbing twist to the story is the connection between Subaru and Toyota, with the previous persevering with to depend on the latter to fill manufacturing gaps. Our mates over at Automotive Information remind everybody that every one three Subaru EVs within the US market are primarily based on Toyota platforms. That features the Uncharted mannequin, which is described as “carefully associated to the C-HR+.”
Wait, did somebody say C-HR+? The sporty Toyota C-HR+ is on the market within the scorching zero emission market of Europe, the place Toyota started deliveries to prospects in March.
The final time I checked, Toyota had no plans to convey the C-HR+ to the US, but it surely feels like Subaru’s Uncharted may function a stand-in till the actual factor arrives — every time that occurs.
What the US did get is a low-key model of the C-HR+, to which Toyota has weirdly ascribed the title C-HR. Bizarre, as a result of C-HR is the title of a gasmobile Toyota tried and did not launch within the US a number of years in the past.
Why Purchase A Subaru?
Maybe Toyota may have higher luck with the electrical model. In them meantime, Subaru has been onerous at work creating a model id geared toward attracting drivers who need rather less drama from their automaker’s CEO and a bit of extra company social accountability from their automaker.
“All Subaru merchandise are manufactured in zero-landfill crops, together with Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., the one U.S. car manufacturing plant designated a yard wildlife habitat by the Nationwide Wildlife Federation,” the New Jersey-headquartered firm notes.
Subaru additionally attracts consideration to its “Subaru Love Promise,” during which it pledges to “present love and respect to everybody and to assist its communities and prospects nationwide.” The corporate’s charitable giving program has racked up greater than $340 million in donations over the previous 20 years and its 5 core rules are additionally price a point out. They embrace Pets alongside 4 extra acquainted social accountability objects, Setting, Well being, Training, and Neighborhood.
Don’t simply take their phrase for it. In 2025 Forbes tapped Subaru of America among the many prime three manufacturers on the journal’s Finest Manufacturers for Social Impression Listing. The popularity was Subaru’s third consecutive 12 months on the checklist, persevering with its #1 rank within the automotive class.
“The 2025 survey gathered greater than 4.4 million scores from 165,000 customers, evaluating 3,900 distinctive manufacturers primarily based on elements akin to values, belief, social stances, sustainability, and neighborhood assist,” Subaru explains.
Subaru of America President and CEO Jeff Walters credit the automaker’s supplier community for burnishing the corporate’s social impression cred.
“Being ranked because the No. 1 automotive model for the third consecutive 12 months is a testomony to the significant impression that our retailers are making of their native communities on daily basis,” Walters defined in a press assertion.
As for the way forward for EV gross sales within the US, Subaru just isn’t the one glimmer of hope in an in any other case gloomy image. Kia confirmed up with some excellent news this week, and Hyundai additionally weighed in with its Ioniq EV.
In the meantime, the EV charging station trade continues to financial institution on an EV revival, and the battery manufacturing sector can also be displaying indicators of renewal.
Picture: Regardless of information of a pullback, Subaru of America launched the brand new Uncharted and Trailseeker EVs into the difficult US market in April, alongside its current Solterra mannequin (cropped, courtesy of SOA).
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