Suzuki confirmed that it will launch its first pure-electric vehicle in 2025. The announcement came during the launch event for the companies all-new S-Cross.
Although this new EV will be the first pure EV, Suzuki is no stranger to electrifying its lineup. The company offers 48-volt mild-hybrid vehicles, full hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids as well.
Suzuki made a move to electrify its lineup through a partnership with Toyota. However, it is not clear if Suzuki will be working with Toyota on the upcoming EV project. Many believe that Suzuki would utilise the battery technology and electric motor from the new Toyota SUV, the bZ4X.
Partnering on the bZ4X would not be a new move for Toyota. Toyota already partnered with Subaru to develop the Solterra with the bZ4X as the base. In fact, the Solterra is an exact copy of the bZ4X in its components but is styled slightly differently.
The Suzuki and Toyota partnership worked well for both companies in the past. For instance, Suzuki’s latest two vehicles were collaborations with Toyota.
The Suzuki Swace is essentially a restyled version of the Toyota Corolla, while the Suzuki Across is a rebadged version of the Toyota Rav4.
As EV technology is expensive to develop in house, many believe that Suzuki will move towards this collaborative model with Toyota or another manufacturer. However, Suzuki did not provide any hints about these potential partnerships.
Source: Autoexpress
