2026 Subaru Solterra: Real-World Charging with Tesla's NACS Plug

Daily Car

19/11/2025

During the last few seasons, the world of battery cars has changed quickly, chiefly in the areas of charger hardware and the ease of finding a plug. The 2026 Subaru Solterra appears just as drivers begin to treat dependable, high speed charging as a basic requirement for convenient travel. Subaru has altered the Solterra in direct reply to earlier complaints and a recent plug in test shows how far the car has moved.

Clear gains for 2026

The first Solterra plus its twin, the Toyota bZ4X, accepted power at a modest pace - a long trip required extra patience. The peak DC charge for previous all-wheel-drive versions stopped at 100 kW. For 2026 the limit climbs to 150 kW - under favourable circumstances the battery moves from empty to 80 % in about half an hour. The jump shrinks the gap between the Solterra and rival models and ends the long standing grievance that the car keeps its owners waiting.

Another change for 2026 is the adoption of the Tesla-style North American Charging Standard plug. With this hardware the Solterra links directly to more than 20 000 Tesla Supercharger sites. Drivers gain far more route choices and face shorter queues at crowded public posts.

How the car behaves at the plug

A test of a 2026 Solterra Touring XT, fitted with a 74.7 kWh pack but also an official range of up to 278 miles (the figure rises in mild weather), supplied useful numbers. On a 34 °F morning the car charged from 16 % to just past 80 % in about 25 minutes at a Tesla V3 Supercharger. The power flow peaked a little above 120 kW and eased as the pack filled. The full 150 kW did not appear, probably because of battery temperature or station load - yet the result matches the pace of current EVs like Tesla's own Model 3 and Model Y.

The session felt far quicker than in older versions, where a similar refill often needed more than an hour as well as relied on slower, less common hardware.

Points to note

The Solterra still asks the driver to plan trips through a phone app. Some owners will find this step less direct and the charge flap position can force an awkward pull in at a busy Supercharger. Even so the car can warm its battery on the way to the plug and the revised hardware delivers a smoother, faster visit overall.

Summary

For buyers who want a usable electric SUV, the 2026 Subaru Solterra's key upgrades - faster charging or broad Supercharger access - move the vehicle a clear step ahead. Real-world speeds shift with weather and station conditions - yet the Solterra now offers a charge routine that keeps pace with most current rivals.

2025-09-16

BMW's Bold Grilles: A Design Choice Driven by Global Demand, Especially China

Discover why BMW's supersized grilles became a prominent design feature, with insights from the brand's design chief and a look at the evolving aesthetic.