Subaru is leaving gasoline behind in Europe. The automaker plans to stop selling gasoline-powered vehicles across the European Union no later than 2027, replacing them with an all-electric lineup shaped by EU emissions and driver-assistance rules. For a company that sold 23,000 vehicles in Europe last year, equal to a 0.2 percent market share, this is a regulatory decision with a very specific business risk attached.
The first gasoline model scheduled to disappear is the Outback, which Subaru will discontinue in Europe at the end of 2023. By 2027, the EU lineup will consist of three electric models: the Solterra, E-Outback, and Uncharted. The E-Outback is called the Trailseeker in the United States, because apparently one vehicle name was not enough paperwork.
Subaru developed the three models in collaboration with Toyota. They are based on the bZ4X, bZ4X Touring, and C-HR+ EVs, giving Subaru a path to an electric lineup without building every underlying vehicle system alone. Subaru also plans to develop its own electric-vehicle technology, according to Takatomo Watamori.
“By developing vehicles in-house and having EV technologies on our own, we can quickly deliver to our customers the peace of mind and driving pleasure that define Subaru, even in this era of change.”
EU rules leave little room for delay
The transition follows new EU requirements covering both emissions and safety technology. Cars built between 2025 and 2034 must average 93.6 grams of CO2 per kilometer, a target that makes a gasoline-only lineup harder to maintain without changes Subaru has already chosen to make.
The safety rules add another deadline. From July 7, 2026, all passenger cars and vans must feature Advanced Driver Distraction Warning systems, known as ADDW, along with enhanced emergency braking. Subaru’s European strategy therefore faces two separate pressures: lower emissions across the vehicle fleet and new equipment requirements for every passenger car and van.
Those rules do not guarantee that every European buyer wants an electric vehicle. They do show where the market is being pushed, and Subaru’s plan places the deadline before the policy pressure turns into a last-minute engineering exercise. The Outback’s discontinuation at the end of 2023 marks the first step; the three-model electric lineup is the endpoint.
Subaru’s decision also arrives as gasoline-only vehicles lose their majority position in worldwide new-vehicle sales. In the first half of 2026, gasoline-only cars accounted for 49 percent of global new-vehicle sales, while total car sales fell by about 5 percent.
Electric and hybrid sales change the balance
Gasoline-only vehicle sales dropped by 10 percent to 20.25 million vehicles during the first half of 2026. Battery-electric cars reached 6.87 million sales, while hybrid vehicles reached 7.27 million. The numbers do not describe a single replacement wave; they show buyers moving toward two alternatives at the same time.
The European figures are even more direct. Battery-electric sales in the EU rose 45 percent during the first eight months of 2026, reaching a 21.7 percent market share. Gasoline cars held the same 21.7 percent share, putting both powertrain types level in the region.
That parity gives Subaru a clearer reason to commit to electric vehicles in Europe, even with its small regional footprint. The company will not be replacing a dominant sales position, but it will need to make three electric models cover the European role once gasoline vehicles leave the lineup.
The collaboration with Toyota gives Subaru the Solterra, E-Outback, and Uncharted as its 2027 answer to that challenge. The EU rules set the timetable, the sales data shows the direction, and Subaru’s own technology plans will determine whether the transition feels like a finished strategy or three plugged-in placeholders. Nobody buys a compliance spreadsheet for the driving pleasure.
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