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Two years have passed since Subaru announced the debut of its first-ever electric vehicle — an SUV collaboration with Toyota called the Subaru Solterra. Well into the first model year, Solterra production woes and limited availability are plaguing Subaru’s entry into the EV market. Only a few dozen new 2023 Solterra models made it to customers in 2022. And the ones that made it arrived late.

A 2023 Subaru Solterra sits on a rock platform.
2023 Subaru Solterra l Subaru of North America, Inc.

How Many Solterras Has Subaru Delivered?

While demand for EVs has risen considerably in recent years, the 2023 Subaru Solterra production has yet to capitalize on the opportunity fully. According to a report from Torque News, Subaru has delivered very few Solterra models. Only 94 Subaru Solterra customers received orders by the end of November 2022 — months after the intended June delivery timeline. 

This delay is in part due to a manufacturing problem. Subaru and Toyota engineers encountered an issue that could cause the wheels to fall off the Solterra and Toyota bZ4x (Toyota’s new EV built on the same platform as Subaru’s Solterra). Torque News reports that it took until October 2022 to find a fix and allow manufacturing to continue. Reports indicate that Subaru had planned to produce 6,500 Solterra models in 2022. That’s a fraction of the production volumes seen for other Subaru SUVs.

View from the rear of a 2023 Subaru Solterra EV sitting on green grass with mountains in the background.
2023 Subaru Solterra l Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru already filled its new 2023 Solterra allotment

You’re out of luck if you’re trying to get a piece of the 2023 Subaru Solterra pie. According to Torque News, Subaru has filled its allotted retail orders for the 2023 model year after reaching its Solterra production quota. 

Customers submitting new orders will likely have to settle for the 2024 Subaru Solterra and its potential price increase. 

Subaru isn’t the only OEM dealing with production and delivery issues. Competitor Ford recently encountered a manufacturing delay for its 2023 Escape PHEV. As a result, Ford closed its 2023 Escape PHEV order banks by the end of January.

Close up of the EV badge on a new 2023 Subaru Solterra.
2023 Subaru Solterra l Subaru of North America, Inc.

Subaru’s first EV is late to the game

Electric vehicles are becoming mainstream, with manufacturers pumping model offerings and production numbers across the board. But while competitors like Nissan and Chevrolet have been producing EVs in high numbers for years, Subaru has only just begun to deliver its first models after Solterra production woes.

Subaru introduced the Solterra SUV in 2021 as part of its EV development partnership with Toyota. The two automakers have previously worked on shared platforms with models like the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. This time, the pair aimed to gain real estate in an increasingly competitive EV market. 

The 2023 Solterra slides neatly into the Subaru’s SUV lineup with the brand’s signature mix of standard all-wheel drive, rugged styling, and high ground clearance. According to Subaru, pricing for the 2023 Solterra starts at $44,995 and boasts an estimated efficiency rating of 94/14 MPGe.

We have yet to see how the Subaru Solterra will weather stiff EV market competition in the long term. In the meantime, drivers can look forward to Subaru beginning 2024 Solterra production. 

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Staff Writer, Producer - SUVs

Scott Prewitt

Scott Prewitt joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2023 as a Staff Writer for the SUV section. During college, he began his career in journalism as Editor in Chief of The Creightonian. After graduating from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, News and Public Relations, Scott spent time in a local newsroom. He soon found his way to the world of automotive journalism and has been writing about cars since 2017.

A passion for all things automotive began at a young age. Playing Gran Turismo racing games in the early 2000s sparked an interest in cars and Scott began devouring Car and Driver stories when he was in the fourth grade. Since then, Scott’s enthusiasm for autos has grown to become the focal point of his career as a journalist.

By combining the skills that earned him the News Graduate of the Year 2016 and the Omaha Press Club Recognition & Academic Scholarship with a craving for knowledge of automotive industry, Scott covers a wide range of content from breaking news about the latest SUV models to designated off-road and overlanding rigs. His reporting is informed by personal experiences like road trips, intriguing automotive history, and time spent poring over various outlets and YouTube channels. Scott is drawn to car culture because, in his own words,  “these vehicles are a combination of purpose-built engineering and emotive, expressive design.”

The personal aspects of the autos world are of particular interest to Scott, and he is fascinated by the relationship between humans and cars. Years of writing for dealerships across the country and time in the corporate communications world lend to his expertise as a writer here at MotorBiscuit.