The dedicated platform will allow Subaru to rely less on Toyota, its largest shareholder, as it expands its ambitions for electric vehicles.

Subaru has a healthy lineup of electric SUVs, from the subcompact Uncharted to the compact Solterra and the wagon-like Trailseeker, with the three-row Getaway set to arrive early next year. But these EVs have little in the way of Subaru DNA, all created in collaboration with Toyota, which handled the majority of the powertrain development. In order to get out from under the shadow of that Japanese automotive giant, Subaru is working on its own dedicated EV platform, and just revealed the first key details of its in-house electric architecture.

In Japan, Subaru showed a prototype for its next-generation EV, as reported by Automotive News. The test mule is based on the Outback, but with a longer wheelbase. The powertrain is reportedly an all-wheel-drive setup with two motors combining for around 510 horsepower, enough for the EV to zip to 62 mph in under four seconds. Subaru says that this new dedicated EV platform will include a new battery, new electric motors, and a new integrated control unit, along with the capability for over-the-air updates.

The e-motors were developed with Aisin, a supplier under the Toyota Group, while the batteries were developed with Panasonic Energy. The motors are more compact and lighter than those found in Subaru’s current EV lineup, and are 30 percent more efficient versus the industry average, engineers told Auto News . The front motor is rated at 201 hp, while the rear motor produces 308 hp.

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