Suzuki and Toyota to further strengthen collaboration on battery electric vehicles

Suzuki and Toyota's upcoming BEV will be manufactured at Suzuki's Gujarat plant.

Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation have further strengthened their collaboration in supplying their upcoming battery electric vehicle (BEV). The much-awaited EV SUV will be developed by Suzuki and be provided to Toyota. It will be manufactured at Suzuki’s Gujarat plant in the first half of 2025. This new development marks the first BEV in the OEM relationship between the two automotive giants.

This new model will be launched worldwide and has been designed exclusively as a BEV. Suzuki and Toyota say that this upcoming EV will be a ‘nimble SUV’ with ‘sharp handling characteristics’. It is also expected to have an ‘ample cruising range’ and ‘comfortable cabin’. Furthermore, it will get a 4WD system, for better off-road capability. This brand-new BEV unit and platform adopted for this model have been jointly developed by Suzuki, Toyota and Daihatsu Motor Corporation.

In terms of history, Suzuki and Toyota both have their roots in Enshu, which lies in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture. In fact, both companies switched their businesses from looms to automobiles. Suzuki's Chairman (current Senior Advisor) Osamu Suzuki and Toyota's President (current Chairman) Akio Toyoda first started exploring business partnerships back in 2016. The fields of collaboration include production, mutual supply and electrified vehicles. The market launch of collaborative vehicles has expanded to Japan, India, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.