EV power outlet talk sounds nerdy until you’re at a trailhead with a dead phone, a cold sandwich, and a headlamp that’s already dim. Power fixes problems. Power keeps the trip fun. And this is precisely where Subaru is aiming at for Spring 2026.
Subaru’s Trailseeker bakes it in. The official at-a-glance sheet calls out a 120V 1500W AC outlet in the cargo area, and Subaru’s own model page lists a 1500W cargo-area power outlet on higher trims. That means the SUV can act like a clean, quiet power source when you’re parked. See Subaru’s Trailseeker at-a-glance spec sheet and the Trailseeker model page.
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So what does 1500W mean for you? It means you can run the stuff that makes the outdoors feel civilized. A small fridge, a battery charger, camp lights, a laptop, even an electric kettle if you insist on civilized coffee. It also means you stop pretending a cheap power bank will save the day.
It does not mean you can run everything at once. 1500W is a ceiling, not a dare. If you try to power a space heater and a bunch of other junk, you’ll trip the system or drain range faster than you want. The Department of Energy’s guide on appliance wattage and energy use keeps the math simple and the lesson clear: watts add up fast.
My Verdict
This is the part that makes the Trailseeker feel like a Subaru, even though it’s electric. It’s not just a way to get to the campsite. It’s part of the campsite. When your vehicle can power your basecamp, you carry less, you stress less, and you stay longer.
This power-pack utility of this new Subaru offering is why EVs are quietly becoming the new camping generator. Instead of hauling a gas unit, extra fuel, and a bundle of loud extension cords, more drivers are using their vehicle as the hub for a small “basecamp grid”: lights, a fridge, a fan, device charging, even an induction cooktop in short bursts. Overlanding builds now assume some kind of onboard power, and the EV does it without fumes, idling, or the 2 a.m. rattle that annoys every neighbor in the lot. It turns parking into staying. And when weather turns, that steady power can keep you safe.
