Japanese automaker Isuzu is planning to invest nearly two billion dollars in electric trucks and batteries, according to EV news outlet Electrive.

According to a regulatory filing, Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution will supply Isuzu with cylindrical cells through 2026 in a deal worth one trillion Korean won ($748 million). LG has been supplying cells to Isuzu since last June. Isuzu intends to use the battery cells in a new electric version of the Isuzu Elf medium-duty truck, which the company calls its first mass-produced pure EV.

The Elf EV truck will be available in 3.5-ton and 7.5-ton versions. It’s expected to feature a CeTrax lite electric drive system from German supplier ZF, and a 40 kWh or 60 kWh battery pack.

Electrive also reports that Isuzu plans to invest 32 billion Thai baht ($1.3 billion) to produce electric pickup trucks at its plant in Thailand. An electric version of the Isuzu D-Max, with a range of up to 400 km, is expected to go into production in early 2025. Thailand is Isuzu’s largest pickup truck market, but the company sells its D-Max in over 100 regions.

Back home in Japan, Isuzu is building an EV research and testing center, where it will develop components such as motors, batteries and thermal management systems. The Earth Lab is scheduled to open in mid-2026.

Source: Electrive