Suzuki to supply new battery EV model to Toyota as both companies eye expanding partnership

Suzuki Motor Corporation will supply Toyota Motor Corporation with the new battery-electric vehicle SUV model as the companies continue to expand their collaborations, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, October 30.

The agency reported, citing a Suzuki Motor Corporation statement, that the new model is scheduled to be manufactured at the Suzuki Motor Gujarat plant in early 2025. 

Maruti Suzuki India plans to launch the same Battery Electric Vehicle model next year. Suzuki owns a nearly 58 per cent stake in Maruti Suzuki India.

“Suzuki will supply our first BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) to Toyota globally. I am grateful that the collaboration between the two companies has further deepened in this way,” the news agency reported quoting Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki.

Suzuki-Toyota collaboration

While both companies continue to compete, they aim to deepen their collaborations to solve social issues, including the goal of a carbon-neutral society through a multi-pathway approach, according to Toshihiro Suzuki, cited in the agency report. 

Toyota President Koji Sato told the agency that by leveraging the BEV unit and platform jointly developed by the two companies, they will take a new step in collaboration on electrified vehicles.

“This will allow us to deliver various choices that contribute to a carbon-neutral society to customers worldwide. We would like to learn from each other's strengths, compete, and further joint efforts based on a multi-pathway approach,” said Koji Sato, as per the report.

Suzuki and Toyota started exploring business partnerships in 2016.

The collaboration in this field is diverse as it includes the production and mutual supply of vehicles and the spread of electric vehicles. The market for the collaboration vehicles has expanded to Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, as per the report.

Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2017 to form a business alliance and share products and manufacturing facilities. 

Under the partnership, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sold the Suzuki Baleno as Glanza and the compact SUV Brezza as Urban Cruiser in India. Urban Cruiser was later discontinued.

The two Japanese giants deepened their collaboration in development and production in India. Both started producing a new SUV model, Grand Vitara, developed by Suzuki, at the Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (TKM) plant. TKM sells the Grand Vitara as an Urban Cruiser Hyryder, the Invicto as an Innova Hycross, and the Ertiga MPV, as Rumion reported the agency.