Representational
Suzuki has announced launch plans for its first electric kei car, the e Sky, in Japan. The company has priced the new EV below its closest competitors, which include BYD’s Racco and Honda’s N One: e. The Suzuki e Sky will go on sale in Japan on 16 November, with prices starting at JPY 21.20 lakh (approx. Rs. 12.97 lakh) and going up to JPY 27.90 lakh (Rs. 17.07 lakh).
The electric kei car measures 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width, and 1,625 mm in height. It has a 2,460 mm wheelbase and offers 140 mm of ground clearance. Suzuki says it developed a new dedicated EV platform called ‘Heartect-e’ specially for the e Sky. The company has also developed an eAxle that integrates motor, inverter, and reduction gears into a compact system weighing just 47 kg. The electric motor, codenamed BB8A, develops 47 kW (63 hp) and 133 Nm of torque.
While Suzuki developed the platform and the eAxle itself, it is sourcing the battery pack from a BYD affiliate, most likely FinDreams Battery. It is a small 26 kWh unit, yet, thanks to the car’s impressively low energy consumption of 97 Wh/km, the lowest in its segment, it delivers a range of 310 kilometres, as per the WLTC test cycle.
The Suzuki e Sky supports charging at up to 6 kW via an AC charger as standard. Charging from low-battery warning to 100% SoC via a 6 kW AC charger takes approximately 4.5 hours. In higher trims, the electric kei car also supports DC charging at up to 50 kW through a CHAdeMO connector. Charging from low-battery warning to 80% SoC via a 50 kW DC charger takes 25 minutes.
Suzuki will offer the e Sky with features such as LED headlamps and tail lamps, 14-inch steel wheels with full covers, a 4.2-inch driver information display, a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, two USB Type-C ports, and a six-speaker sound system.
The electric kei car will boast a host of premium safety equipment as well, including six airbags, a 360-degree camera system, Driver Drowsiness Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Vehicle Sway Warning. The Suzuki e Sky is planned to be launched in European markets as well, as early as 2027. Maruti Suzuki has not announced any plans to launch this model in India.
