Saar: That’s the fiscal during which Maruti Suzuki is targeting to roll-out its first ever electric car.
Only yesterday we reported that Maruti Suzuki is considering to make the next-gen WagonR its first-ever electric car. Although we have our reservations about the chosen product for e-treatment, that’s what was reported. Now though, according to a report by LiveMint, India’s largest carmaker has already set a sales target for electric cars for the 2020-21 fiscal. It is reportedly targeting to sell up to 35,000 units of pure electric cars during the same fiscal when it plans to launch its first zero-emissions car.
One of the sources reportedly told the publication:
“Suzuki will venture into the electric vehicle market quite late compared to some of its competitors. That’s why it wanted to make sure the foray into electric should be sustainable and gradually gain volume. The battery plant was crucial and now the management has internally decided on 30,000-35,000 units per annum from FY21.”
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It was in September last year when Suzuki announced that it will build a lithium-ion EV battery plant in Gujarat, in partnership with Toyota and Denso. During the same month, R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said:
“Maruti will not hold back in the EV segment. As soon as we can determine the customer preference, we will come up with such models. In the mean time, the focus will be to increase fuel efficiency and bring in new technologies.”
A couple of months later, Maruti Suzuki announced that it would further strengthen its partnership with Toyota and Denso and collaboratively develop electric cars for India. The Swift-maker finished the year by running a survey to gauge customer expectations on electric cars and by announcing that it will also set up charging stations for EVs (electric vehicles). In February this year, Maruti Suzuki shared that the first electric vehicle will only come by 2020.
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If all goes as per the plan, Maruti Suzuki could very well become India’s first manufacturer to produce an electric car with locally sourced components. That’s why it is setting up an EV battery plant and will also invest in developing a robust infrastructure to support the existence of electric cars. Just to clarify, Mahindra and Tata Motors source more than 50 per cent of EV components from outside India.
In all probability, Maruti Suzuki will make its electric cars in its Hansalpur facility in Gujarat. Additionally, it will also be developing an ultra-high-efficiency powertrain, plans for which were discussed and revealed only last month.
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