Subaru Corporation revealed the future direction of its technology development efforts, an opportune time given the automotive industry is facing increasing pressure to electrify their line-up.

President Tomomi Nakamura said: “Even in this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation, Subaru’s strong commitment and dedication towards car-manufacturing that we have cultivated throughout our history remain unchanged. With the aim of making Subaru different from other brands, we will further hone the distinctive qualities that make a Subaru a Subaru, maintaining the unique attributes our customers have come to expect. At the same time, as we work to fulfill our social responsibilities, including the protection of the global environment, we will leverage Subaru’s unique character and technological innovation to contribute to the creation of a carbon-free society.”

Regardless of this change, Subaru says they will continue to focus on enhancing their distinctive core technologies: the horizontally-opposed “Boxer” engines, all-wheel-drive (AWD) technologies, superior driving performance and safety, EyeSight driver assist system, and now, environmental technologies.

At the briefing, Subaru announced the following long-term goals:

• By 2050: Reduce average well-to-wheel CO2 emissions from new vehicles (in operation) sold worldwide by 90 percent or more compared to 2010 levels.
• By 2030: Make at least 40 percent of Subaru global sales electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
• By the first half of the 2030s: Apply electrification technologies to all Subaru vehicles sold worldwide.

Aside from the CO2 emissions reduction goals for vehicles announced, Subaru will also aim to reduce the direct CO2 emissions from their facilities to 30 percent below 2017 levels by 2031.