There’s a brand-new CEO set to take the reins over at Subaru in June, and he’s already putting electrification and expansion in “new markets” like Australia at the top of his to-do list.
Subaru has announced that outgoing CEO, Tomomi Nakamura, will be making way for Atsushi Osaki in just a few months’ time, with the company’s new chief stating it needs to “survive the age of electrification by being nimble”.
This is set to accelerate Subaru’s expansion into the world of hybrid powertrains for its most prominent vehicles like the Outback, Impreza, and the Forester, which Subaru has been somewhat slow to get the ball rolling on.
In a news conference, Osaki stated that another key goal is for Subaru to continue its expansion in markets like Asia and Australia.
“At the moment, we are unable to meet such potential demand due to chip shortages. We will work to resolve such issues and seek to further increase our sales globally.”
The CEO reshuffle comes as Subaru nears the end of its five-year plan that was implemented back in 2018, with Osaki outlining the need for Subaru to stay flexible in the world of electrification.
Outgoing CEO, Tomomi Nakamura, said that Subaru needs to “explore what would be the best way to develop battery-electric vehicles, and there is also the issue of battery procurement”.
Subaru’s first-ever battery-electric vehicle, the Solterra, is set for its official arrival in Australia in the middle of this year and is the result of a co-development alongside domestic rival, Toyota and its platform-sharing bZ4x.
