Subaru is seemingly taking a big step towards further electrifying its vehicle lineup, as it recently trademarked the name "STe" with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA).
If STe sounds familiar, that's because the wording is a play on STI, Subaru's famed performance line. It should be noted that Subaru has effectively discontinued the WRX, with the 2023 model being the last one to run on that platform. There's no WRX STI for this generation, either, dismaying fans from all over the globe.
This latest news should bring comfort to those fans, as widespread electrification is all but confirmed for Subaru's future, and an all-electric WRX may not be entirely out of the question.
Going back to the STe moniker, the lowercase "e" likely stands for electrified, as STI stands for Subaru Tecnica International. The name would make sense, and it's catchy to boot.
Subaru's only available electric vehicle (EV) today is the Solterra SUV, a spiritual sibling to the Toyota bZ4X. The Japanese automaker has delved into performance EVs before, with an STI version of the Solterra dazzling fans at last year's Tokyo Auto Salon. That same event also saw Subaru showcase the STI E-RA Challenge Project Concept, a track-only supercar that might never get made.
But still, with Subaru trademarking the STe branding, it seems only a matter of time before the company comes out with an in-house-developed EV. Could it be a WRX STe?