Suzuki poised to acquire Japan-based firm's all-solid-state Lithium-ion battery business

MANILA: Suzuki Motor Corporation is about to complete the acquisition of Kanadevia Corporation’s all-solid-state Lithium-ion battery business. 

The transfer agreement for the aforementioned will be effective in July 2026. But while the full business transfer is still in the works, the acquisition highlights the Japanese carmaker’s commitment to new energy vehicles (NEV) and its intention to become globally competitive in this segment. 

And yes, this goes beyond just battery production. The acquisition also encompasses Kanadevia’s all-solid-state Lithium-ion battery technology development, design, and sales capabilities. 

To note, Kanadevia, which is a Japanese corporation based in Osaka, has been developing all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries since 2006. According to Suzuki, this type of lithium-ion battery product from Kanadevia offers high levels of safety due to its environmental resistance and the lack of liquid leakage in accidents and other NEV-related technical difficulties. 

Kanadevia’s batteries are also capable of operating across a wide temperature range. For those unaware, extreme temperatures continue to pose issues for typical electric vehicle (EV) batteries in terms of efficiency and degradation. 

For now, however, Suzuki has yet to disclose where it will utilize its newly acquired all-solid-state Lithium-ion battery business. So, for the moment, no future or current product portfolio was attached to the said business acquisition. 

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What we know about Suzuki’s EV lineup

At the moment, Suzuki’s premier global EV offering is the eVitara - a model that is already included in the Philippine Department of Energy’s (DOE) recognized NEV list. Its inclusion on the list signals its future arrival for the local market. 

However, the DOE data sheet for the upcoming eVitara does not use a solid-state battery. Instead, it will come packaged with a more conventional Lithium Iron Phosphate battery with a capacity of around 49-kilowatt hours (kWh). The aforementioned offers the model a range of 426 kilometers (km). 

According to the government website, the one we're getting is the front-wheel-drive version, which is capable of producing 171 horsepower and 193 Newton-meters of torque. 

Another Suzuki-made EV is the e-Every, a commercial kei-class vehicle sold in Japan. Again, this uses a conventional EV battery, not a solid-state battery. 

With all that said, Suzuki could be looking ahead to a future in which it will roll out vehicles (or other products) with an all-solid-state battery. This technology, after all, is seen by many as the next evolution of EV mobility, including EV passenger cars and all-electric commercial vehicles. 

Also read:

Suzuki starts selling eVitara in India, will PH have it soon?

PH-spec Suzuki Jimny 3-Door gains more value-packed features

Suzuki gets ‘improved packaging of automotive injectors’ award from WPO

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