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Toyota and Subaru Will Build Two Electric SUVs on a Jointly Developed EV Platform
This will be interesting to watch. From Car and Driver:
In an expansion of their partnership to share hybrid technology, which generated Subaru's first plug-in hybrid, Toyota and Subaru have announced that they are jointly developing a new electric-car platform for use by both brands. The new platform will be for "mid-size and large passenger vehicles," they said, and it can underpin both sedans and SUVs. No other technical details were given, but the automakers released the image above, showing a rendering of the platform.
In addition to the new platform, the companies will be jointly developing an electric SUV based on the architecture that will be sold under both brands. Again, not a lot of details were given, but the new crossovers will be in the C segment where the Subaru Forester and the Toyota RAV4 exist. Rumors in the Japan Times and elsewhere recently suggested that the new electric SUVs will hit the market in 2021.
Neither brand currently offers any electric cars in the United States, although both have announced extensive electrification plans in the past few years. (Toyota has admitted that it's taking a careful approach when it comes to electric cars.) The joint statement says that Toyota's electrification tech and Subaru's all-wheel-drive expertise will be put to use on the new projects.
Toyota and Subaru first entered into a business partnership in 2005 after General Motors got rid of its stake in Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries; Toyota is now the largest shareholder of Subaru. In addition to the Crosstrek plug-in, the collaboration most notably resulted in the creation of the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sports-car twins, which are on track to receive a second generation at some point in the future.
Why does an electric vehicle need a mechanical AWD system like Subaru's? Also, why would it be costly to engineer and build? Isn't that why the TNGA is modular or was electrification not factored into the engineering of the platform?
Why does an electric vehicle need a mechanical AWD system like Subaru's? Also, why would it be costly to engineer and build? Isn't that why the TNGA is modular or was electrification not factored into the engineering of the platform?
I don't think it says it would be a mechanical AWD system. It's just marketing/PR spin for why they're working together. Maybe Subaru will help program the electric AWD logic.
TNGA is indeed modular and flexible, but may not be fully dedicated/optimized for a full EV floorpan.
they both need electric vehicles so they will work together. i think toyota should just buy subaru, but i think subaru is part of a bigger company? (fuji heavy industry or something?)
they both need electric vehicles so they will work together. i think toyota should just buy subaru, but i think subaru is part of a bigger company? (fuji heavy industry or something?)
Yep.....Fuji Heavy Industries. They do more than just autos...they are also famous for their bikes.
In addition to the new platform, the companies will be jointly developing an electric SUV based on the architecture that will be sold under both brands. Again, not a lot of details were given, but the new crossovers will be in the C segment where the Subaru Forester and the Toyota RAV4 exist. Rumors in the Japan Times and elsewhere recently suggested that the new electric SUVs will hit the market in 2021.
If this date (2021, only 2 years away) is true, this announcement is late or this new vehicle is on an already-existing platform, since it takes at least 4 to 5 years to bring a new vehicle to market.
Toyota recently announced the C-HR EV for China (and there are rumours that the Lexus UX, which is Lexus' version of the C-HR, will be its first EV). The C-HR (and UX) sit on the TNGA-C (Compact) modular platform so it would seem that the TNGA platform(s) were designed with full EVs (with the battery pack in the floor) in mind.
they both need electric vehicles so they will work together. i think toyota should just buy subaru, but i think subaru is part of a bigger company? (fuji heavy industry or something?)
I remember reading somewhere that Subaru does not want to join the Toyota family.
But Toyota seems to be willing to help out the smaller Japanese automakers (Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki) -- probably to keep them viable and out of foreign hands -- by sharing technology with them.
I remember reading somewhere that Subaru does not want to join the Toyota family.
But Toyota seems to be willing to help out the smaller Japanese automakers (Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki) -- probably to keep them viable and out of foreign hands -- by sharing technology with them.
Toyota has some ownership in Subaru. So it kind of makes sense. Also, in the USA both Mazda and Toyota are joint sharing a manufacturing plant.
With all of these plans for electric vehicles in the works, it's not going to do much good if we don't get cracking, here in the U.S., on an adequate recharging-infrastructure for these vehicles. California is one of the few states where they have actually done work on getting an adequate charging system installed....and for other alternate-fuel vehicles. I'm not necessarily a big fan of electric vehicles myself, but if they are inevitable, and we're (eventually) going to be stuck with them, we might as well be ready for it.
I remember reading somewhere that Subaru does not want to join the Toyota family.
But Toyota seems to be willing to help out the smaller Japanese automakers (Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki) -- probably to keep them viable and out of foreign hands -- by sharing technology with them.
Toyota owns 16.48% of the Subaru, and is largest stock owner of Subaru Corporation. However Subaru is run independently, as is quite common in the industry... it took Toyota, I believe, over 20 years to turn Daihatsu ownership into fully fledged subsidiary.
The way I am reading this is that Subaru is paying Toyota to use their new EV platform as a JV.
With all of these plans for electric vehicles in the works, it's not going to do much good if we don't get cracking, here in the U.S., on an adequate recharging-infrastructure for these vehicles. California is one of the few states where they have actually done work on getting an adequate charging system installed....and for other alternate-fuel vehicles. I'm not necessarily a big fan of electric vehicles myself, but if they are inevitable, and we're (eventually) going to be stuck with them, we might as well be ready for it.
Infrastructure is nice and all in highly populated states, but what happens when you travel to East Bumblephuk nowhere Montana where there are more cows than people? Would corporations be willing to invest in those places to bring everything up to snuff? Maybe when 18 wheelers start going electric?
I'm still surprised at how cheap Toyota has become. First they claim a new inline 6 is too expensive, then get shaded by Mazda. Now an electric vehicle that requires partnering with another company. An EV is literally a hybrid with the gas engine lopped off but they can't go at it alone?
06-06-19, 08:00 AM
Toyota and Subaru Will Build Two Electric SUVs on a Jointly Developed EV Platform
