Toyota, Suzuki, others announce line of mini commercial van EVs
EVs continue to permeate the mainstream, with three major Japanese automakers including them at this year's G7 Summit.
Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki), Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu), and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) have unveiled a prototype mini-commercial van electric vehicles (BEVs) equipped with a jointly developed BEV system. The announcement took place at an exhibition event that introduced the automobile industry's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality beginning Thursday May 18. The exhibition event was organized by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) along with the G7 Hiroshima Summit.
The three companies jointly developed a BEV system "suitable for mini-commercial vehicles by combining Suzuki and Daihatsu's expertise in creating small-size cars with Toyota's electrification technology to introduce this mini-commercial van BEV," says a joint press release on the matter.
Daihatsu will produce the vehicles, and Suzuki, Daihatsu, and Toyota will each release their own version within fiscal 2023. Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) also participated in the planning to achieve the optimal specifications for efficient last-mile logistics. The cruising range per charge is expected to be approximately 200km, and "development is currently underway with the aim of creating a vehicle that can fully meet the needs of customers in the delivery industry."