Suzuki has revealed details of its new Suzuki Swift EV hybrid range extender, unveiled at the Tokyo motor show today. The new concept uses a plug-in hybrid range extender system, which would offer up to 18 miles on electricity alone before the small capacity petrol motor will kick in to charge the lithium-ion batteries.
Hajime Maruyama, general manager of the Suzuki electric drive vehicle design department, described the Swift EV Hybrid as “a global model, that uses technology which we are considering for use in other Suzuki models, too.â€
See an image of the Suzuki Swift EV at the Tokyo show
There is no doubt that Suzuki is planning on selling this tech in the future, but senior sources admitted that there is still research needed to confirm whether there is a business case for the UK and Europe.
“With a range of just 18 miles we may need to carry out more development before the Swift would make sense in Europe, whilst in Japan drivers travel less distance on average in cities so the technology is more viable in this state.â€
The benefit of having a shorter range is that the Swift takes just 90 minutes for a full recharge of a 200V supply, or four hours off a standard 100V supply so there is no need for a fast charger. The car can also serve as a household power supply via an outlet on the centre consol.
Vicky Parrott
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