Subaru, a renowned Japanese automaker, has recently announced its decision to adopt Tesla’s charging port as part of its electric vehicles’ charging infrastructure, following in the footsteps of Toyota and Lexus. This move will grant Subaru’s future electric vehicles access to Tesla’s expansive network of over 50,000 chargers. Given Toyota’s stake in Subaru, it was only a matter of time before Subaru also embraced Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).
Key Takeaway
Subaru’s decision to adopt Tesla’s charging port solidifies its commitment to the electric vehicle market and ensures its future EVs will have access to Tesla’s extensive supercharger network. This move follows Toyota and Lexus’ recent embrace of the Tesla standard, indicating a trend towards increasing compatibility and standardization in the EV charging infrastructure.
The automaker, known for winning over sporty lesbians and Crocodile Dundee fans, has been relatively slow to fully embrace electric vehicles. At present, Subaru only offers one electric vehicle, the Solterra crossover, which is actually produced by Toyota. However, Subaru’s decision to adopt the NACS indicates that they are committed to catching up and expanding their electric vehicle lineup. Notably, there are still a couple of prominent holdouts when it comes to embracing the Tesla standard, namely Volkswagen (VW) and Stellantis, although they have expressed interest in exploring it.
In consideration of customers who purchase a Subaru with a Combined Charging System (CCS) port, the company has assured that it will release NACS adapters by 2025. This aligns with the timeframe when other automakers are also expected to unveil their own adapters, demonstrating a growing trend towards compatibility and standardization in the EV charging landscape.
As part of its broader electric vehicle strategy, Subaru has announced plans to introduce eight EV models by 2028, with the aim of electric vehicles accounting for approximately 50% of its total vehicle sales by 2030. However, the automaker acknowledges that it has a long way to go to achieve this goal, as electric vehicles currently make up just over 1% of Subaru’s total sales in the United States this year.
