Subaru May Be Reviving the Brat as an Electric Pickup

A new report suggests Subaru is considering bringing back its compact Brat pickup truck as an electric vehicle, developed in partnership with Toyota. While still unconfirmed, the project would leverage Toyota's EPU electric pickup concept from 2023.

What We Know So Far

According to CarsGuide, Subaru is exploring an all-electric pickup that would essentially resurrect the Brat nameplate (called the Brumby in Australia). The vehicle would reportedly be based on Toyota's EPU electric pickup concept that debuted at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show.

This fits with Subaru and Toyota's expanding partnership. The two companies already collaborate on the Solterra and bZ4X electric SUVs, and Subaru has announced plans to launch three or four new EVs by 2026, all developed with Toyota.

Toyota's EPU concept is a compact electric pickup measuring 199.6 inches long with unibody construction. Key features include a pass-through bed system similar to the old Chevrolet Avalanche — folding the rear seats and opening a gate allows for hauling long items from the cabin through to the bed.

With the pass-through open and tailgate down, the bed extends from 4.5 feet to 8 feet in length. The EPU is sized similarly to a Ford Maverick but with a wheelbase that's 10.8 inches longer.

Original Brat Background

The Subaru Brat was a compact pickup sold from 1978 to 1994, based on the Leone platform. All models came standard with four-wheel drive, which was unusual for small trucks at the time. The Brat's most famous feature was rear-facing plastic jump seats in the bed, which allowed Subaru to classify it as a passenger car rather than a truck, avoiding the 25% "Chicken Tax" import tariff.

The original Brat measured just 157.3 inches long, 59.1 inches wide and 54.5 inches tall — more than 42 inches shorter than Toyota's EPU concept and truly tiny by today's standards.

If Subaru moves forward with the project, the dramatic size difference compared to the EPU suggests they would likely offer a much smaller variant to differentiate from Toyota's truck. This could position it as the genuinely compact option in the small EV truck segment, staying closer to the original Brat's diminutive proportions.

Any new Brat would likely retain Subaru's all-wheel drive system with multiple terrain modes for mud, snow and sand — core Subaru features that would translate well to an electric platform.

Toyota has been building momentum around electric trucks. In March 2025, the company announced plans for nine fully electric models in Europe by 2026, including three new EVs shown in silhouette — one clearly being a pickup truck.

Toyota already plans to launch an electric Hilux this year, though that's a basic work truck with about 124 miles of range, built for the Thai market.

Market Reality

The CarsGuide report suggests a Subaru electric pickup is "unlikely" for the US market, citing trade tariffs, though Subaru does plan at least one more EV for American buyers. This has been a consistent theme in previous CarsGuide reporting about Subaru considering a Brumby revival, where Australian executives have expressed interest but noted market challenges.

Another challenge is that even today's "compact" trucks like the Maverick and Santa Cruz are significantly larger than the original Brat. The Ford Maverick, for instance, is over 42 inches longer than the original Brat was. American buyers have consistently preferred bigger trucks, which could limit demand for a truly small pickup.

Both Subaru and Toyota remain tight-lipped about specific truck plans. The collaboration makes strategic sense — Toyota expands its EV lineup while Subaru gains access to electric truck technology without developing it independently.

While this specific electric pickup report appears to be new information, CarsGuide has been tracking Subaru's potential return to the pickup market for several years. In 2023, Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read told CarsGuide that a new Brumby would "absolutely" be on their wish list, especially if it could leverage Toyota's truck expertise.

For now, this remains in rumor territory. But with Subaru's planned EV expansion and the companies' deepening partnership, an electric compact pickup isn't out of the question. Whether it would be called the Brat, Brumby or something new entirely remains to be seen.