While Subaru has been a bit late in adopting an all-electric engine, the brand shows no signs of turning away from its racing and racing heritage in the transition.
For proof of that, look no further than the two EVs it unveiled on Friday, at Tokyo Auto Salon 2022: a version of the Electric SUV Subaru Solterra, in sporty STI guise and an all-electric race car.
The “RA” four-engine STI E-RA Challenge Project is for Subaru’s most performance-focused models. Its four motors produce a combined 1,072 hp, with torque vectoring provided by individual engine control and each motor unit of a modular gearbox and Yamaha-powered inverter. .
Yamaha 350kw electric motor
That is in line with what Yamaha announced last year — that they intend to to power some very fast EVs, especially with high power propulsion systems up to “designed for installation and use in super EVs and other high power applications.”
The E-RA’s lithium-ion battery pack is only 60 kWh — though for context, battery pack used in Formula E is 54 kWh; it’s not designed to be a 500-mile long-distance running machine.
The Solterra STI doesn’t claim any performance boost over Subaru’s upcoming Solterra electric SUV, but it does boast an extra roof spoiler, cherry red aero bumpers, “sets of the kit” and a new roof spoiler. other special parts on its exterior”. With additional equipment, “the model inspired Subaru’s unsurpassed driving dynamics,” the company said.
Prototype Subaru Solterra
2023 Subaru Solterrais Coming to US dealerships sometime in the summer of 2022, and in the specs offered so far, it’s not quite performance-oriented, with 0-60 mph in the seven-second range, for a total of 215 hp from the dual-motor system of the car. it. Solterra was developed with Toyota bZ4X, so any money invested in a sportier version of the models could be a potential one.
For now, the STI remains a joke, as there are no announced plans, for any market, for a Solterra STI production vehicle. But consider the Solterra STI — with the E-RA as proof — as a strong first indication that Subaru’s performance pedigree won’t be exclusive to the internal combustion engine.
