MG Motor to drive in a new affordable electric SUV to India in early 2023

MG Motor India is all set to launch its second electric vehicle in India. The carmaker has confirmed that the new electric car, which is expected to hit the Indian shores by the end of the next fiscal, will be a more affordable EV.

MG Motor currently offers ZS EV as its only fully-electric offering in India. The electric SUV is priced between ₹21 lakh and ₹24.68 lakh (ex-showroom). The second electric car from MG Motor is expected to be priced much lower, in the range between ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh (ex-showroom).

There is no clarity on whether MG Motor will drive in a completely new electric model to India, or whether it will be one of the existing models it has in its global fleet. Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director at MG Motor India, said that the new EV is going to be a crossover. Besides the ZS EV, MG Motor has two more plug-in cars on offer in the global markets. These include the MG5 EV, which is priced less than the ZS EV, and the MG HS plug-in hybrid model. All three cars are available in the UK.

Chaba said that the new electric crossover will be based on a global platform, but will be customised for the Indian markets. "Our next product after SUV Astor, we have been thinking about an EV and now we have been very encouraged with the absolute clarity from the government side that EV is the way to go," Chaba was quoted by news agency PTI.

"We have taken the decision that we are going to introduce an EV by the end of next financial year. It is actually a kind of a crossover and this is going to be based on a global platform, which we are going to develop and this will be an EV for mass market for all the emerging markets including India," Chaba added.

"We will customise this car for the range and the Indian regulations and customer taste...It will be specially tailored for India. We will start working on it right now. This is the kind of tipping point that we have been talking about that if we are able to do a car between ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh that can give us good volumes. So hopefully, this would be our volume EV car," Chaba said, emphasising MG Motor's EV roadmap for India.

Chaba also said that MG Motor will aim to localise a lot of parts for its next EV, including battery assembly, motors and localisation of other parts.

(With inputs from PTI)

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