Subaru of America reports 45,790 vehicle sales in February, which is two percent more than a year ago. So far this year, the company sold in the United States over 90,000 cars (up 1.3 percent year-over-year).
Our focus is on the all-electric Subaru Solterra model (Toyota bZ4X cousin), which in its fourth month on the market noted 347 sales. That’s 0.8 percent of the brand’s total volume.
The recent result was slightly lower than in January, but let’s note that the company still had some issues with the wheel hub bolts recall.
We are very curious what the stable sales level of the Subaru Solterra will be in the long term – a few hundred units or maybe more (hopefully not less).
So far this year, 846 Subaru Solterra were sold in the US, while the cumulative number is 1,765.
That’s not a high volume result, but for Subaru, it’s about one percent of the total sales. We have to wait one more month to see how the Subaru Solterra copes compared to the Toyota bZ4X (those numbers are available quarterly).
The biggest issue for the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X going forward might be the lack of eligibility for the $7,500 federal tax credit. This makes a big difference for a vehicle, which starts at an MSRP of $44,995 (+$1,225 DST), especially if some of the crossover/SUV competitors are eligible for the incentive.
The Subaru Solterra, with a 72.8-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery and a dual motor all-wheel drive system (160 kilowatts) is rated at 228 miles (367 kilometers) of EPA combined range.
The Japanese company offers one plug-in hybrid model but does not report its sales (the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid plug-in hybrid, is counted together with other Crosstrek versions).
The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid plug-in hybrid, offered for a few years, utilizes Toyota Prius Prime components (8.8 kWh battery) and has an EPA EV range of about 17 miles (27 km). Its price starts at an MSRP of $36,845 (+$1,225 DST).
