Tokyo green news: Swift plug-in and new Alto

Keen not to get left behind in the perpetual race for greenness, Suzuki unveiled a host of small, efficient cars in Tokyo - including a plug-in hybrid Swift supermini and an Alto Concept.

What's all the fuss about?

Let's get the Alto out of the way first because, like us, you might be thinking that a new Alto is odd when the current one is less than a year old. There isn't much info on the seemingly production-ready concept (well it's hardly a fantastical glimpse of the future), but it's notably bigger inside than the current car, despite having tiny proportions and a miniscule 658cc engine.

Otherwise, there's the Swift plug-in hybrid to gawp at, as well as the fuel cell FX4, which uses a General Motors 'high performance' fuel cell that draws power from a high-pressure hydrogen tank. It's currently undergoing testing in Japan.

What makes it so green?

You'll know about plug-in hybrid tech by now, which allows reasonable electric-only mileages after getting charge from a household socket - 12 miles in the Swift's case - and the SX4 burns hydrogen for power, resulting in pure water from the tailpipe.

In other green news, Suzuki also shows off a fuel cell scooter - perhaps the ultimate in green urban personal mobility - and a methanol fuel cell wheelchair, which allays fears of running out of power by allowing users to replace the small methanol fuel bottle while on the move.

When can I buy one?

All of this stuff is in development so Suzuki won't say when it's going to hit the shops, although the methanol wheelchair looks set to appear in Japan for Christmas.

Mark Nichol