It's not too late to join EV race, says Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki is the only carmaker in India among the top three which has not joined the electric vehicle bandwagon yet. Unlike its rivals like Tata Motors, Hyundai Motor and Mahindra, India's largest carmaker is still planning its EV strategy which is expected to come up with the first model in the next two years. The electric four-wheeler segment in India has seen significant rise in the past couple of years with Tata Motors leading the way. While most others have started to grab their share in the segment, Maruti Suzuki thinks it is still not too late to join the EV race.

Maruti Suzuki has earlier revealed its plans of launching six electric vehicles by 2030. The carmaker recently showcased the eVX Concept electric car which is expected to go into production by the end of 2024. RK Bhargava, Chairman atMaruti Suzuki, thinks the carmaker will be able to make up for the delay when it joins the bandwagon. "Yes, we are behind some companies in launching EV but that does not mean that we are late in the market or that when we are coming in 2024-25, we will have in any way damaged our ability to get an adequate market share," he said.

Bhargava said that Maruti's EV strategy for India is being cleverly planned in collaboration with its Japanese partner Suzuki. This includes taking into consideration India's EV environment too. He said, with 6 EVs lined up by the end of this decade, the upcoming models will 'give us a very good position in the market'.

Maruti Suzuki eVX electric concept SUV will be the company's first global strategic EV. It is a small and compact model, about the size of Maruti's flagship SUV Brezza. The EV is designed for urban personal mobility and comes with strong Suzuki 4x4 capability. Equipped with a 60kWh battery pack, the eVX electric vehicle claims to offer up to 550 kms of driving range on a single charge.

Watch: Maruti unveiled eVX EV Concept at Auto Expo 2023

The electric four-wheeler segment in India saw nearly 40,000 units sold within the first six months of this year. Tata Motors leads the segment with more than 80 per cent market share. The third largest manufacturer offers as many as three models and at least two more are expected by the end of this year. Among other carmakers who offer multiple EVs in India are Hyundai Motor and MG Motor.