In April, Subaru car sales in the United States amounted to 55,863 cars (up 9.5% year-over-year), bringing year-to-date volume to 208,859 (up 7.4% year-over-year). It was the 21st consecutive month of year-over-year growth.

Last month was also very positive for Subaru EV sales, which more than doubled to a new monthly record of 1,456 (up 141% year-over-year). In April, Subaru Solterra sales were higher than in all of Q1 (1,147 units).

Subaru increased EV sales

In Q1, Subaru was struggling to increase EV sales in the U.S. although things changed in April. The new model year and attractive lease deals allowed to set a new monthly record for the Subaru Solterra and achieve a positive result after four months of the year.

The recent result boosted Subaru’s EV share to 2.6%, a new monthly record. What caused the surge?

The first thing that comes to mind is the latest 2024 model year version of the car, which has faster DC charging—10-80% state-of-charge in 35 minutes (at up to 100 kilowatts)— and a few new features.

Another idea is the new lease deals—$329 per month over 36 months with $369 due at signing, according to CarsDirect. The deals for the older 2023 model year are even better ($241/month and $241 due at signing), but there were only a few vehicles left (about 100 in mid-April). This might be the primary reason behind the surge.

Subaru BEV sales last month (YOY change):

• Solterra: 1,456 (up 141%) and 2.6% share

So far this year, Subaru Solterra sales in the U.S. amounted to 2,603 units, 33% more than a year ago. It’s more than one percent of the brand’s total volume.

Subaru BEV sales year-to-date (YOY change):

• Solterra: 2,603 (up 33%) and 1.2% share

For reference, in 2023, Subaru sold 8,872 Solterra (about 1.4% of Subaru’s total sales). The cumulative result is just over 12,000.

The Subaru Solterra has two direct cousins—the Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ—based on the Toyota e-TNGA platform (called e-Subaru Global Platform by Subaru). Their sales results are relatively similar, although reported only quarterly.

Here is a quick look at the Subaru Solterra pricing. The model has a 72.8-kilowatt-hour battery and its EPA Combined range is 222 or 227 miles depending on the version (the higher number is for the 18-inch wheel size).