For a company that has boating as one of its main focuses, it is important to see concrete gestures in favor of the environment, in particular. On the occasion of March 22, International Water Day, let’s see how Japanese giant
Suzuki
is committed to protecting the environment, not just the sea.
Suzuki will invest 31.8 billion by 2030
Numbers, when it comes to tangible signs, are useful to understand. Suzuki Motor Corporation, with subsidiaries in various countries, has embarked on a path of research and development with total investments estimated in the range of 31.8 billion euros by 2030. The intent is to be on the cutting edge to help protect the environment as well.
“Suzuki Environmental Vision 2050” sets a goal of reducingCO2 emitted by Suzuki vehicles by 40 percent by 2030, rising to 90 percent by 2050.
Suzuki Marine: electric outboards
The same targets will also cover emissions released by outboards, which have already seen a 12 percent reduction and will By 2025 it will drop to 15 percent. For new medium-displacement outboards, for example, high compression ratio combined with higher thermal efficiency is among the key elements in reducing emissions.
This transition is taking shape through “Suzuki Green Technology.” The plan calls for a significant redesign of thermal units and the debut in 2024 of a new line of electric outboards, dedicated to those who use boats primarily on lakes and rivers.
Suzuki plans to launch five new models by fiscal year 2030, with an EV powertrain share of 5 percent. On the other hand, as far as the high-powered endothermic units are concerned, the Hamamatsu-based company is considering adopting synthetic, carbon-neutral fuels.
At the structural level, it is the adoption of components made of thermoplastic material (used for the large exterior parts), which ensures greater durability of the outboards and facilitates their recycling.
Suzuki Marine and the end-of-life of boats
Speaking of end-of-life Suzuki has joined and supports, with six other manufacturing companies, the program called “FRP Boat Recycling System” promoted by the Japan Marine Industry.
Fiberglass is difficult to dispose of, in addition to being polluting when this process is done poorly. Therefore, in 2007 in the Japanese market, this plan was initiated to prevent disposal by inadequate processes. Emphasis is also placed on intelligent construction processes so that GRP waste can be easily transported to dedicated facilities and crushed, sorted and processed into inert materials that can be used in the construction of houses and buildings.
Another activity that Suzuki is firmly committed to is reducing the use of plastic, as it is one of the main man-made products that ravages the environment and especially pollutes the water and seas.
Also starring in this is the Suzuki Micro Plastic Collector, a device that uses the cooling system of its outboards to filter water and collect microplastics in the sea.
