Subaru Solterra EV to make its UK debut as WorldSBK safety car

July 9, 2025 George East

The all-electric Subaru Solterra will make its UK debut as the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) safety car at the seventh round of the season at Donington Park on July 11-13.

Ahead of the opening round of the year in Australia, Subaru Europe teamed up with the WorldSBK organisers to make the Subaru Solterra the championship’s safety car. In doing so, Subaru’s first EV became World SBK’s first all-electric safety car, where it is responsible for everything from pre-session track assessments to rapid incident responses.

“Subaru’s rich racing heritage makes the WorldSBK championship a perfect match for our brand,” said David Dello Stritto, Subaru Europe general manager. “Partnering with this distinctive motorsport series aligns Subaru with performance and cutting-edge innovation. It reinforces our core values of driving fun, go-anywhere capability, durability and safety—values that resonate deeply with Subaru and WorldSBK fans alike.

Alongside the Subaru Solterra, other EV safety cars include the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and the MINI Electric (Image: Subaru)

“This collaboration brings our ‘Power On. Ready. Charge.’ motto to life, showcasing the mindset behind our European efforts to introduce new electric models in the region. It reaffirms Subaru’s dedication to shaping a sustainable and electrified future for the brand in Europe.”

At the 2025 New York International Motor Show, Subaru introduced an updated version of the Solterra, which is touted to debut before mid-2026. It gets a 25% bigger range than the current model thanks to a new battery, plus 150kW charging capacity in sub-zero weather conditions.

Subaru-Trailseeker-EV-2026 — The Subaru Trailseeker EV will arrive in the UK in 2026 after the new Solterra and is one of the brand’s most important models in recent years (Image: Subaru)

The same event marked the announcement of the Subaru Trailseeker, which is the beloved Japanese brand’s first fully in-house developed EV and said to be the all-electric sibling to the Outback wagon.

When the Trailseeker arrives on UK shores halfway through next year, it will benefit from Subaru’s legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive system. In terms of powertrain, the Trailseeker will come with a twin-motor setup producing an Impreza WRX-beating 375bhp, and a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds.