Suzuki currently has a rather niche model range that comprises mostly small and micro cars, as well as small utilities. Earlier this month, the Japanese firm previewed its first production electric vehicle with the eVX concept and it turns out it will be just the tip of the iceberg as now the company announces a major new strategy towards full electrification on the global markets. And yes, this also means there is going to be an electric Jimny and above you can find its first teaser image.
The firm’s production plan for Europe includes the launch of five battery-powered models by the end of the decade. The first of them will arrive next year and Suzuki expects about 80 percent of its European sales in 2030 to come from electric vehicles. There’s no information regarding which model will come first and which ones will follow later, but there’s an image of what definitely looks like an electric Jimny next to other small cars. All we can say for now is that it looks exactly as you’d expect it to look.
On the domestic market, Suzuki has plans to introduce six electric vehicles by 2030, though it forecasts that just 20 percent of its sales in the country will come from BEVs. The third major market in which Suzuki sells cars, India, is supposed to also receive six electric models in the next seven years, which should account for about 15 percent of the brand’s sales in the country.
In total, Suzuki will invest no less than 2 trillion Yen (more than $15 billion with the current exchange rates) in the research and development of new products. It’s important to note that this huge figure also includes the company’s R&D efforts in sectors outside the automotive industry, including motorcycles, outboard motors, and others. Additional 2.5 trillion Yen ($19.2 billion) will be poured into the construction of a battery plant for electric vehicles and renewable energy facilities.
Gallery: 2023 Suzuki Jimny 5-Door
Suzuki’s ultimate goal is to become completely carbon neutral starting with all its domestic plants in 2035. The Hamamatsu plant should achieve this target in 2027. In Europe, carbon neutrality should be achieved by the middle of the century and in India, the plan is for 2070.
