Regulars here would be aware of our report on Mr Gadkari urging all car and bike manufacturers to replace petrol and Diesel vehicles in their portfolio with electric vehicles. He went on to say that failing to do so will make him bulldoze the manufacturers to adopt the electric route. While most find his statement a bit absurd, to put it lightly, there are some who are heralding Mr Gadkari as a visionary of sorts. Anyway, let’s come back to the entire reason for this story – It has come to light that Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has taken a step towards fulfilling our Govt’s wish. Yes, the Maruti Suzuki Electric Car has got a step closer to its launch.
Also See – Upcoming Maruti Cars | Cars at Auto Expo 2018
Suzuki Motor Corporation, Maruti’s Japanese parent, has decided to produce electric cars at the Gujarat production facility. These EVs will not only launch in India but will also be exported to several export markets. India will become Suzuki’s production and export hub of electric cars. Suzuki plans to make a fresh investment of $600 million (Rs 3,900 crore) to setup up Plant C in Gujarat. The additional investment will take Suzuki’s net investment in the state of Gujarat to more than $2.1 billion (Rs 13,400 crore). Currently, Plant A is capable or producing 2.5 lakh units annually. Plant B will be up soon and will add another 2. lakh units a year to the kitty. Plant C will follow thereafter. The Japanese car manufacturer also plans to set up a combustion engine plant with annual capacity of 5 lakh units.
Also See- Bajaj Electric Bike Launch by 2020
“For the last 35 years, we have been working towards ‘Make in India’ with you all,” Osamu Suzuki, Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation said at a business leaders’ meet in Gujarat. PM Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, his Japanese counterpart, were also present at this event. Currently, Mahindra and Mahindra, thanks to its acquisition of Maini Electric cars, enjoys a clear lead in the electric vehicle segment. Tata Motors too isn’t far behind and is almost ready with an EV variant of its Tiago hatchback. Things will definitely get a lot hotter with the launch of a Maruti Suzuki electric car. We are sure the company’s decision to install a battery production unit will give a big push to India’s electric car market.
Maruti Suzuki Electric Car Launch Date
A lithium-ion battery (LIB) production facility will churn out batteries for the company’s electric and hybrid cars. The technology for the batteries will come from Denso, a Toyota-owned company, while the cell modules will come from Toshiba. Together, the three companies will make an investment of $180 million(Rs 1,151 crore) for the battery production plant. This plant will start operations by 2020, which means we can expect the launch of a Maruti Suzuki Electric Car soon around the end of this decade.
Some of you might remember that Maruti Suzuki showcased an electric version of the Swift many years ago. While the prototype never made it to the market, it did turn out to be an interesting concept for many. With the Government planning to give a strong push to electric cars in near future, Maruti might be seen launching Electric variants of many of its popular models to cash in on the emerging trend.
Also Read – New Maruti Swift Sport Could Be India-Bound!
Not much is currently known about the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Electric Car. However, what we do know for sure is that it will benefit from all the characteristics that are typical of a Maruti product viz attractive price, cheap spares, a long list of features, and decent service network. Watch this space for the latest news updates on the Maruti Suzuki Electric Car launch prospects.
via Times of India
