NEW DELHI, Oct 30:
Japanese auto major Suzuki Motor Corporation will supply battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) from its Gujarat plant to Toyota further extending the partnership while at the same time remaining rivals, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The new car model, an SUV, is scheduled to be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat from the spring of 2025.
Suzuki Motor on Wednesday announced that the new battery EV will be launched globally.
“This new development marks the first BEV in the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) relationship between the two companies,” an official statement said.
The auto major said that the BEV unit and platform adopted for the model were jointly developed by Suzuki, Toyota and Daihatsu Motor Corporation, utilising each company’s strength.
“Suzuki will supply our first BEV to Toyota globally. I am grateful that the collaboration between the two companies has further deepened in this way. While continuing to be competitors, we will deepen our collaborations toward solving social issues, including the realisation of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach,” said Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki.
Commenting on the development, Toyota President Koji Sato said,” “By leveraging the BEV unit and platform that we jointly developed, we will take a new step in our collaboration in the field of electrified vehicles. This will allow us to deliver various choices that contribute to a carbon-neutral society to consumers worldwide. We would like to learn from each other’s strength, compete and further joint efforts based on a multiple-pathway approach.”
Since Suzuki’s Chairman (current senior advisor) Osamu Suzuki and Toyota’s President (current Chairman) Akio Toyoda started exploring business partnerships in 2016, both companies have engaged in a wide-ranging collaboration. The fields of collaboration have been diverse and include production and mutual supply of vehicles, and the spread of electrified vehicles.
“As a result, the market launch of collaboration vehicles has expanded to Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East,” the official statement said.
(UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
