Toyota and Suzuki team up on ‘electrified cars’ for European market

Toyota and Suzuki are joining forces to make ‘electrified cars’, including for Europe. The companies have entered into an agreement to this end, after plans for collaboration had already been laid down in February 2017. Probably only hybrid models.

Among other things, the agreement means that the two companies will “work together to produce and popularize electrified vehicles,” Suzuki reported. In addition, the collaboration will bring together ‘Toyota’s knowledge of electrification technology’ and ‘Suzuki’s knowledge of compact vehicle technology’.

Toyota’s hybrid system will be available worldwide for Suzuki. Specifically for the European market, Toyota will make two new ‘electrified vehicles’ for Suzuki on Toyota platforms, namely the RAV4 SUV and the Corolla Wagon. Suzuki supplies petrol engines to Toyota in return. Partly in view of Toyota’s somewhat skeptical attitude towards fully electric battery cars, the two new electric vehicles are likely to be hybrid cars, without a plug-in option.

In addition to Europe, the collaboration also focuses on India, where Suzuki has a strong position. Here Suzuki is going to make two compact petrol vehicles for Toyota. For the Indian market, the two companies are working together to provide Suzuki hybrid models with systems, engines and batteries produced by Toyota in India.