Japanese car manufacturer Subaru's CEO, Atsushi Osaki, indicated that Subaru is likely to produce electric vehicles in Indiana, USA.
Subaru believes that the period leading up to 2028 is crucial for ramping up its electric vehicle sales, aiming to ultimately achieve an annual sales target of 600,000 all-electric cars by 2030. In the U.S., Subaru hopes to sell 400,000 electric vehicles.
On September 13th, Atsushi Osaki mentioned to the media in Tokyo that the company is still contemplating where in the U.S. to produce these electric vehicles. Currently, Subaru has a factory in Lafayette, Indiana, where it produces the Legacy and Outback models.
Osaki suggested that this factory might be the prime choice for Subaru's electric vehicle production in the U.S., but he also cautioned that a final decision hasn't been made yet. Osaki stated that Subaru is "about to make a decision," but he didn't specify whether this involves building a new factory or expanding/modifying the existing production lines.
Osaki mentioned that he met with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb in Japan this month but didn't reveal further details, such as whether they discussed new investments from Subaru.
During his visit to Japan, Holcomb also toured Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, where Subaru's main Japanese factory is located. He additionally met with executives from Toyota and Honda. Both Toyota and Honda also have factories in Indiana.
Subaru heavily relies on the North American market. In August this year, the company announced plans to expand its all-electric product lineup to eight models by the end of 2028. The company has been producing its first mass-produced electric vehicle model, the Solterra, at Toyota's Motomachi plant and plans to launch three new electric vehicles by the end of 2026 and another four by the end of 2028.
