Maruti Suzuki India has set an ambitious goal to become the top EV maker in the country by the end of 2025-26, though it is a trifle late in embarking on the EV journey.
Tata Motors is the top EV maker in the country last year at 68,980 units.
“By the end of 2025-26 we will be the largest manufacturer of EVs,” said Partha Banerjee, senior executive officer, marketing and sales, MSIL on the sidelines of the Bharat Mobility Global Show in New Delhi where the company unveiled its first EV, the e-Vitara.
The company plans to sell the e-Vitara in the domestic market and export it to 100 countries including Japan and Europe.
“It is based on a pure EV platform designed for the global market. It has a huge wheelbase that helps to give better leg space for rear seats which are sliding, a first in its segment,” said Banerjee.
The company did a survey before embarking on its EV journey to ascertain customer anxieties. “One of the concerns of the customers was range. We have tried to address that. The e-Vitara will deliver 500 km in one charge,” he said.
“Another feedback was if the mileage of the car would differ in different climatic conditions. This vehicle has been tested in both snow and desert conditions, at -30 degrees and +60 degrees centigrade. It has passed the fire test, the water test and all other rigorous tests.”
The targeted customer is the young Indian who wants a premium vehicle. The company thus decided to sell it through its premium sales channel, the Nexa.
“We as a company don’t just sell products. We try to understand the needs of the customer and then try to address those needs. Today we are trying to find out why the customer is not switching to EVs.
“And we are trying to address those concerns. We are going to have EV after-sales service and charging facilities in 1000 cities,” he said.
The e-Vitara will be produced in the dedicated EV line at the Gujarat facility which has a capacity of one lakh vehicles per annum.
The company has announced that it will launch a total of six EVs by 2030.
