PHEV

CVT

The nameplate comes courtesy of a recent trademark filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, given code 1B. What that means is “ intent to use .” Set to replace the Crosstrek Hybrid that was canceled in 2016, the newcomer could get to use the E-Four system from Toyota instead of Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive.Offered in applications such as the Japan-spec Prius, E-Four is an all-wheel-drive system that comprises of three electric motors (one driving the rear axle) and an internal combustion engine. In regard to the internal combustion part of the Subaru, chief technical officer Takeshi Tachimori let it slip that a “ longitudinal Subaru engine ” would do the trick. Considering that the Crosstrek comes as standard with the 152-horsepower four-cylinder, there’s little in the way of surprise, right?In regard to shifting gears, there will be no such thing in the Subaru PHEV. In order to make the drivetrain work as intended, the Lineartronicwill make way for an e-CVT (electronically controlled planetary-type continuously variable transmission) of Toyota origin, the same system found in the Prius and Prius Prime.Range isn’t of the essence here, more so if you bear in mind the Prius Prime is capable of covering 25 miles on electric power. The Japanese automaker decided to get help from Toyota for the PHEV to comply with California’s Zero Emission Vehicle regulation. The credits amassed over the years are scarcer with each passing day, which is why Subaru came up with this plug-in hybrid compromise.On the subject of getting greener, Subaru will drop turbo diesel engines by the end of the fiscal year 2020. Come 2021, the automaker will introduce a series of all-electric vehicles