Suzuki to commercialize fuel cell motorcycle in Japan; on-road testing begins in 2016

The Nikkei reports that Suzuki Motor plans to commercialize a hydrogen powered fuel cell motorcycle, with plans to start testing it on public roads in 2016 once Japan’s transport ministry finalizes the relevant safety and environmental standards.

Suzuki already has a joint venture with Intelligent Energy Holdings that will produce a Burgman fuel cell scooter. The high-pressure hydrogen tank is small enough for a motorcycle. The first Burgman scooter will be based on Suzuki’s existing 120cc model.

The Nikkei report said that Suzuki hopes to turn its fuel cell two-wheeler into one of its major products; Suzuki also intends to develop compact four-wheel vehicles that run on hydrogen.

The 2017 VW Microbus You Want is Being Made by Suzuki

Fans of the VW Microbus and Eurovan models have been longing for a spiritual successor to the bigger-on-the-inside vans for years, hoping against hope for an unlikely electric van and even turning to Westfalia and Ford to see if they can bring the magic back. Well take heart, Volkswagen van fans, because the spiritual successor to Microbus may finally be here! It’s just that- er … it’s being built by Suzuki.

Seemingly about the size of Volkswagen’s EU-market Golf Sportsvan, this latest van concept from tiny Japanese automaker Suzuki is called the Air Triser- and it’s currently gleaning appreciative ooh’s and ahh’s from the public at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Suzuki Air Triser | What Might Have Been

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The real tragedy here, of course, is that the Suzuki Air Triser really could have been a compact, new-age take on the classic VW Microbus. At one point, VW owned nearly 20% of the Japanese car maker and was set to provide fuel-efficient diesel engines to Suzuki in emerging markets like India and China. Suzuki dodged a bullet there, obviously, but Americans lost the chance to see cars like the excellent Suzuki Swift and this Air Triser concept come to the US badged as a GTi or Microbus- and that’s really too bad, because these reliable, inexpensive, and simply-made Japanese cars would have made excellent Volkswagens!

Ah, well. Maybe VW will get it right one day, after all. Until then, let’s talk about whether or not a small footprint van like this makes sense for VW North America in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe VW will read them!

Source | More Images: Suzuki, via Jalopnik.

Forbidden Fruit: 2015 Suzuki Vitara Revealed

Suzuki stopped selling cars in North America after 2013. That was a shame, because the company’s SX4 really was mostly OK, and the AWD Kizashi was very much a budget Audi in the same way that Kia is now positioning itself to be. Still, the real reason Suzuki is missed over here is that the cars it sold overseas were always worlds better than the second-class-citizen stuff we got Stateside. That trend will continue into 2015, at least, with the launch of the all-new 2015 Suzuki Vitara shown here.

Like the updated, hydrogen fuel-cell Kizashi concept shown earlier this year, the new Vitara SUV is being built with a big nod towards efficiency, thanks to a frugal (yet, torquey) 1.6 liter direct-injected turbo diesel engine mated to a wide-spread CVT and lightweight construction. That power will be put to good use on or off-road, as well, thanks to Suzuki’s newly revised ALLGRIP 4WD system.

The company is promising that the new ALLGRIP will help the 2015 Suzuki Vitara live up to the grand tradition of off-road Suzukis that began with the original Jimny/Samurai back in the 1960s and continued on through the Pike’s Peak dominating Escudos driven by Monster Tajima in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Suzuki has plans to put the 2015 Vitara into production at their Magyar, Hungary factory early next year, with plans to export the vehicles built there to Russia, India, and China. JDM models will, it’s believed, continue to be built in Japan.

2015 Suzuki Vitara Teased

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Sources | More Photos: Indian Autos Blog, Suzuki.

Suzuki EXTrigger Set to Square Off Against Honda Grom

This is Suzuki’s EXTrigger concept bike. A bike that’s been designed and built to go toe-to-toe with Honda’s hot-selling, genre-defying Grom 125 cc urban-assault bike with more aggressive styling, a more upright riding position, and an “automatic” twist-and-go riding experience. Suzuki went a even further than in raising the bar set by the little Grom with a torquey, zero-emission electric motor.

Oh, yeah!

Suzuki knows what’s up. Despite the fact that the company just came out of bankruptcy is already facing a massive recall on more than 200,000 examples of its flagship GSX-R sport bike, Suzuki definitely sees the future of American motorcycling through a clean and polished cristal ball: the future of motorcycling is small, accessible bikes that reward aggressive riding that doesn’t punish the pocketbook … bikes exactly like this new EXTrigger concept, in other words.

There’s no word on the EXTrigger’s specs or performance yet, but expect something like 35 mph and a 40-mile range. If the acceleration is hard enough, especially that pull off the line, that should be more than enough to accomplish Suzuki’s mission of attracting new riders and commuters to the sport, and put it a step ahead of the 130 MPG Grom in the hearts of eco-conscious urban commuters, too!

Source: Suzuki, via Asphalt and Rubber.

Maruti Suzuki may make India's first light-duty hybrid

Maruti Suzuki could make the first light-duty hybrid-electric vehicle produced in India by collaborating with its sister Suzuki affiliate in Japan, the International Business Times reports. Maruti Suzuki is looking to tread where competitors Toyota and Honda have failed; neither company has had success bringing hybrids to India.

Maruti Suzuki is pondering the move in response to India's National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020, which is pushing for greener transportation as a way to cut emissions and pollution by the end of the decade. No launch date has been set.

As for Suzuki, that company showed off its Swift EV extended-range plug-in at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2011, but is has been awfully quiet in green-car circles since then. That model was thought to be able to go up to 18 miles on electric-only power.



Source: Autoblog Green

Electric Scooters – Now With Baskets, From Suzuki

Suzuki announced their new electric scooter this week. It’s called the e-Let’s, it’s under-50-cc-equivalent, and it goes on sale on January 9th.

Scooters in general are pretty neat – they’re fuel efficient, small, and it’s hard not to look cute riding one. Add in an electric motor to reduce noise, vibration, and greenhouse gas emissions, and you’ve got something that makes a whole lot of sense (above 60 degrees ambient temperature, that is).

Specs and Technicalities

The Suzuki scooter is no exception to the rule; it uses Suzuki’s previous Let’s 4 Basket body as its base, equipping it with lithium ion batteries and hub motors. The lack of a combustion engine makes the ride nice and smooth, and the vehicle’s low overall weight lets it maintain acceleration and maneuverability. Without the dedicated charger, the e-Let’s actually weighs nearly 5 lbs. less than the gas-powered Let’s 4!

The lithium ion batteries take about 4 hours to charge (from a 100V plug), and a full charge takes the rider around 18.5 miles (as tested by Suzuki, under test conditions traveling at an average 18mph). The batteries also include a management unit to monitor battery condition and charge level. They can even be removed from the scooter to charge.

Extra Space and Other Details

The e-Let’s has two storage areas – the front basket and under the seat. The storage space under the seat is designed to hold the dedicated charger and a spare (charged) battery, both of which can considerably expand the range. The basket holds anything you can cram into it and has a lid to keep it secure.

The standard scooter package includes one battery and the dedicated charger, and is about $4,000 USD. The extra-battery variety is called the “e-Let’s W” (why the W, I have no idea), and will go on sale at the same time as the standard e-Let’s.

No word on North American or European availability, but Suzuki has stated their sales goal as 1000 vehicles. Let us know what you think of it, in the comments below the gallery.

Source: Gas2.0

Suzuki gets small and funky for Tokyo with Regina compact, Q-Concept, Swift EV Hybrid

For their home turf show, Japanese automakers often bring out the best and quirkiest. To cite just a few examples, how about the three different Nissan Pivo concepts, the Honda EV-N and the Nissan Land Glider. Suzuki continues the trend this year with a full slate of world premieres of unusual designs wrapped around some eco-friendly powertrains.

The theme seems to be that small is good, and the "big" star is the Regina (above), Suzuki's "vision of a next-generation global compact car" that gets 75 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the JC08 test cycle. The usual efficiency suspects – lightweighting and improved aerodynamics – help out here. The Regina weighs just 1,609 pounds (730 kg) and emits just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Then we have the Q-concept, because apparently having one funky Japanese car defined by a single letter (the Mitsubishi i) isn't enough. The Q is the bright orange My First Discman thing you see above left, and it's a small city vehicle that's only 2.5 meters long and seats two in tandem style. The interior arrangement can be adapted to fit more kids – or delivery goods – in the back. Suzuki doesn't specify, but we assume it's powered by electricity since there is no tailpipe and the automaker says the car (?) is "ideal for everyday journeys within a radius of about 10km."

The most normal-looking vehicle that Suzuki will display at Tokyo Big Sight is the Swift EV Hybrid. A plug-in electric with an "engine-driven generator," the Swift EV Hybrid (also called the Swift Range Extender) can easily go between 20 and 30 kilometers (12 and 18 miles), at least, on battery power and then go further using liquid fuel. Exact details on the battery size and all-electric range will have to wait until the show starts in Japan at the end of the month. In 2009, Suzuki showed off the Swift Plug-In Hybrid.

Suzuki will also display a new Swift Sport and a flotilla of two-wheelers, including some powered by fuel cells and batteries.



Source: Autoblog Green

Suzuki Reported to Launch Swift Plug-In Hybrid in 2013

Suzuki Swift PHEV – Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been awhile since we've come across reports related to Suzuki's Swift plug-in hybrid concept that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show way back in 2009, but now the Nikkei (sub. req.) claims that Suzuki is looking to launch the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle as early as 2013.

The Nikkei says that the concept Swift plug-in is powered by a 55 kW (73.8 horsepower) motor and packs a 2.66 kWh lithium-ion battery. The plug-in's 660 cc engine is reportedly quite the fuel sipper, with combined fuel consumption listed at 37.6 kilometers per liter (88.4 miles per gallon U.S.) on Japan's JC08 cycle. The plug-in Swift supposedly boasts an electric-only range of up to 19 miles. How much will it cost? We're not sure, but the Nikkei says that it will probably be around 500,000 yen ($6,220 U.S. at the current exchange rate) higher than the standard Swift, and nor more than two million yen ($24,882 U.S.) all told. Suzuki apparently hopes to sell "several thousand" in Japan before starting exports. With Suzuki's prominent position in Japan, the plug-in Swift could quickly become one of the island nation's must-have vehicles.



Source: Autoblog Green

Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter obtains Whole Vehicle Type Approval

The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter, jointly developed by Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Motor Corporation, has obtained European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA). WVTA qualifies the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter design as safe to use on public European roads without having to be inspected and tested individually.

First exhibited at the 41^st Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009, the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter, equipped with the latest version of Intelligent Energy’s air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell system, has been participating in a UK public road testing program run by Intelligent Energy and supported by the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board. The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter design has now met with specified EU performance standards meaning that the vehicle and its components are approved for production and sale within Europe.

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter has become the world’s first fuel cell vehicle to earn Whole Vehicle Type Approval in the European Union. Our aim is to make eco-friendly fuel cell scooters increasingly common in Europe, in line with the establishment of hydrogen filling stations and other necessary infrastructure.

—O. Suzuki, Chairman and CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation

The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter was jointly launched in Europe at London’s City Hall in February 2010.

Source: Green Car Congress

Suzuki Demonstrates A Fuel Cell Burgman Scooter In Tokyo

We would have preferred an electric only Burgman but Suzuki decided to concept a fuel cell version. The problem with fuel cell technology, of course, is the lack of hydrogen refueling stations.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki has introduced its concept Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter, based on technologies from the Crosscage concept motorcycle that it displayed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, thereby realizing a more practical and accessible fuel-cell bike.

Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter. Click to enlarge.

The air-cooled PEM fuel cell—made by UK-based Intelligent Energy, Suzuki’s partner in other fuel cell efforts—is fueled by a 70 MPa (10,000 psi) hydrogen tank (the highest-pressure tank used on a bike thus far). The tank is mounted within a robust frame for safety.

The scooter is also equipped with a Li-ion battery for energy storage.

No other specifics were available.