Suzuki working on low-cost EV with two-speed transmission

Suzuki Motor Corp. has teamed with Canadian company Inmotive Inc. to develop a two-speed EV transmission for an unnamed future electric vehicle.

This EV will use the Inmotive Ingear transmission that has gearing suited to city and highway applications respectively – the latter of which, the company claims, can cut energy use 15 per cent.

According to its maker, the Ingear two-speed transmission is also “as mechanically efficient as a simple, single-speed powertrain”.

“With this joint development agreement for the 2-speed EV transmission, Suzuki believes that it has the possibility of extending electric vehicle range through efficient use of motor torque while also lowering costs due to using a smaller electric powertrain unit and improving driving performance in various driving scenes,” the company said.

Inmotive claims the Ingear transmission’s greater energy efficiency means brands can fit smaller batteries, thereby cutting the sticker price – key for Suzuki, which thrives in developing markets such as India, where electrification is taking off to combat pollution.

“In a high-volume Class B/C drivetrain, the addition of Ingear costs less than $150, but saves more than $1650 in battery, motor, inverter and other costs,” Inmotive Inc. claims.

“Single-speed transmissions are a compromise between efficiency and performance. With two gears, an Ingear powertrain can maximize for both city and highway use. Even better,acceleration can be improved by up to 15 per cent.”

Suzuki’s first electric vehicle is being developed alongside a Toyota model, and is reportedly set for a 2025 launch. Autocar India reports the YY8 SUV concept will be revealed at the Auto Expo 2023 in Delhi this week.

The company previewed what a Maruti SUV electric SUV could look like back in 2020 with the Futuro-E concept pictured above.

MORE: Suzuki to reveal EV concept in January ahead of 2025 launch – report