Japan
Sustainability Data Book 2024On July 17, 2024, Suzuki held a technology strategy briefing.
From manufacturing to recycling, we aim to realize “technologies that minimize energy consumption” and deliver the joy of mobility to people around the world while pursuing a carbon-neutral world.
Toshihiro Suzuki
Representative Director and President
■ Toward carbon neutrality
Based on the philosophy “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi (Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter, Beauty),” Suzuki will minimize the energy used and reduce CO2 emissions to the utmost limit. This is our technological philosophy. From manufacturing to recycling, we aim for technology that minimizes resource and environmental risks, providing the joy of mobility to people around the world while striving to achieve a carbon-neutral world.
We at Suzuki have been creating vehicles that are just the right size for transportation, that are lightweight and fuel efficient, and that are safe and have sufficient equipment. In other words, we have been creating safe and small vehicles that require minimal energy. If the vehicle weighs 200 kg less, it requires about 20% less energy for production and 6% less energy for driving. Compact and lightweight cars greatly contribute to the minimization of energy consumption.
The philosophy of “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi” requires less energy to move. That means “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi” minimizes battery size and fuel consumption. Small batteries require less energy to charge. They also help minimize motor size, engine displacement, and material usage. Additionally, smaller products require less energy to manufacture, and lighter products result in lower collision energy, reduced recycling burdens, and lower costs and risks associated with raw materials. Furthermore, lighter cars cause less damage to roads and underground water or gas pipes, reducing the energy needed for infrastructure maintenance. Lightweight products create a virtuous cycle that brings numerous benefits.
■ Five strategies for the minimization of energy
We will promote technological development through five strategies to achieve minimal energy with “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi.”
- “Lightweight and safe body” that supports the whole as the basis of all
- “Lean-battery EV and HEV” with the right materials in the right places for the customer’s demand
- “Combination of high-efficiency ICE with CNF”
- “SDV right” that creates value with affordable system
- “Easy recyclability and disassembly design” for the circular economy
Looking ahead 10 years, we aim to realize energyminimizing technology from product materials to manufacturing, customer use, and recycling. The goal is to contribute to the formation of a sustainable society.
Katsuhiro Kato
Senior Managing Officer
■ Minimization of energy: The origins
Corporate production activities involve both environmental and resource risks. We must minimize environmental impact and use limited resources wisely. Our major mission and challenge is to minimize risk by combining these efforts. Smaller cars can minimize resource and environmental risks, thereby improving overall energy security for society.
Whether EVs or HEVs have less environmental impact depends on how widespread non-fossil energy becomes. We believe that a multi-pathway approach to technology, including EVs, hybrids, and ICEs using carbon-neutral fuels, is necessary depending on the timing and region.
1. Lightweight and safe body
We will challenge for further weight reduction of 100 kg for 10 years ahead. We will further evolve the safe and lightweight “HEARTECT” platform, which contributes to resource conservation and environmental protection, and work on minimizing energy consumption through weight reduction technology.
2. Lean-battery BEV/HEV
Suzuki aims to deliver the most energy-efficient electric vehicles suited to the country, region, and customer usage, without excessive battery capacity, by developing energyminimized electric vehicles.
3. High-efficiency ICE/CNF technology
We will horizontally expand our high-efficiency engine technology to engines for light cars and compact cars and pursue efficient combustion of CNFs such as biogas and bioethanol using less fuel and aim to achieve higher efficiency and cleaner exhaust emissions by high-speed combustion.
4. SDV right
We are developing “SDV right,” an affordable system that embodies energy minimization through “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi” to create value for cars and provide customers with what they feel is “just right” and “this is fine, this is what I want.”
5. Easy recyclability and disassembly design
To minimize energy consumption, we will further expand our current initiatives for reuse of batteries including the construction of collection systems from the perspective of circular economy that considers the entire life cycle while refining our technologies, recycling of resin, easy disassembly design for easy recycling, promoting the use of recycled materials, and utilizing them for streetlights.
We will realize “minimization of required energy” more effectively, more inexpensively, and faster by developing technologies through continuous efforts. We are trying to achieve our goals with everyone’s participation and overall optimization.