Suzuki, the Japanese automobile manufacturer, has announced its partnership with Australian company Applied EV to develop an autonomous electric vehicle platform. The collaboration was solidified in September 2022 when Suzuki invested in Applied EV in a funding round that raised $21 million.
The latest announcement states that Applied EV’s autonomous vehicle platform, Blanc Robot, will be integrated into the ladder frame of Suzuki’s four-wheel-drive Jimny, electrified by Applied EV and operated by its central control system, Digital Backbone. The companies intend to bring Blanc Robot to production and develop business models to expand the adoption of autonomous electric vehicles.
In a press release, Julian Broadbent, CEO of Applied EV, said, “After years perfecting the Digital Backbone in trials, we are now presenting our first fully commercial solution. It is precisely the new type of innovation that will future-proof business models and form the mainstay of the transportation industry for decades to come.”
The companies had previously showcased the capabilities of Blanc Robot when it was paired with British company Oxbotica’s self-driving software on a delivery vehicle used in Europe’s first-ever trial of a fully autonomous vehicle with no occupants on public roads in May 2022.
Suzuki officially stopped selling cars in the United States in 2012, but it remains a force elsewhere, particularly in India, where it sold 1,576,025 cars in 2022 under its Maruti subsidiary. While a completion date for the new platform has not yet been announced, Suzuki’s investment in Applied EV through its corporate venture capital fund, Suzuki Global Ventures, demonstrates its commitment to the project.
The partnership between Suzuki and Applied EV highlights the continued growth of autonomous electric vehicle technology and its potential to revolutionize the transportation industry.
