Suzuki hit the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with a small flotilla of green-minded vehicles, including the Swift EV Hybrid. According to the company, most Swift buyers travel between 12 and 18 miles per day, so engineers designed this range-extended EV to cover that distance on pure electric power. A small-displacement internal combustion engine remains on hand to take over charging duties should the driver deplete the vehicle’s batteries, just like in the Chevrolet Volt. Suzuki says that the design has several advantages over a traditional electric vehicle.
For starters, the system uses a significantly smaller battery than a full EV, which means the Swift EV Hybrid uses fewer resources and costs less. It also takes less time to charge than a full EV as well. While we don’t expect to see this doorless wonder on the streets any time soon, Suzuki may apply the range-extender technology to production models in the future.
