Toyota and Suzuki are teaming up to catch up in the global EV race. Next year, Suzuki will supply Toyota with its first electric SUV, which is set to roll out worldwide. Here’s what to expect from Toyota’s new electric SUV.
Toyota’s electric SUV from Suzuki is coming in 2025
Suzuki will begin producing the new all-electric SUV for Toyota at its Gujarat plant in India starting in the spring of 2025.
The new EV is the first of an expanding partnership as the Japanese automakers look to fend off the wave of new models hitting the market. In a press release on Wednesday, Toyota and Suzuki said the new SUV was designed “exclusively as a BEV,” eliminating gas or hybrid options.
The statement said Toyota’s new EV will be “a nimble SUV with the sharp driving characteristics of a BEV.”
It will be powered by a platform co-developed by Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu Motor, combining each other’s advantages.
Toyota’s 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.”
The electric SUV will be available in 4WD, “offering exceptional drivability on rough roads and a more powerful driving experience.”
Earlier this year, Maruti Suzuki unveiled the Concept Electric SUV eVX, a mid-size electric SUV with a driving range of up to 342 miles (550 km). This gave us a glimpse of what the new model will likely look like.
At 4,300 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, and 1,600 mm tall, the eVX is slightly slammer than BYD’s popular Atto 3 (4,455 mm long x 1,875 mm wide x 1,615 mm tall) or a Toyota Crolla Cross (4,460 mm long, 1,825 mm wide, 1,620 mm tall).
Toyota said it would launch the new model “worldwide” as one of the ten EVs due out by 2026. According to a Nikkei report earlier this month, Toyota is also deepening its partnership with Subaru with plans to launch another co-developed electric SUV in 2026.
Subaru announced it was teaming up with Toyota to launch three new electric SUVs by 2026. The company’s CEO, Atsushi Osaki, said, “There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field.”
Electrek’s Take
Japan’s leading automakers are teaming up to launch new electric models as lower-priced models from China continue to gain market share.
With China’s EV market, the world’s largest, becoming saturated with new models, automakers are taking business overseas to drive growth.
One of the most notable is China’s largest automaker, BYD. BYD just posted record profits as vehicle sales continued surging in the third quarter. BYD’s revenue outpaced Tesla for the first time (including PHEV sales).
Meanwhile, Toyota’s output fell for the first time in four years in the first half of fiscal 2024. Toyota especially felt the heat in China, with volume slipping by 17%.
Toyota sold 108,287 EVs through the first nine months of 2024, including its luxury brand Lexus. That’s only about 1.5% of the over 7.4 million vehicles sold then. BYD sold 164,956 EVs in September alone, with nearly 1.2 million sold through September.
Can Toyota fend off the competition with the help of Suzuki and Subaru? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.
As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.
“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”
This Orange looks good in blue
One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).
“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”
We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.
On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.
We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.
The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.
Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.
Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.
The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.
“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”
The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.
Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.
Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.
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