Delhi Delhi. Maruti Suzuki India on Friday unveiled its first battery electric vehicle eVITARA, which will be exported to over 100 countries. Speaking on the occasion of the unveiling of the model at the Auto Expo held as part of the India Mobility Show, Suzuki Motor Corporation Representative Director and President Toshihiro Suzuki said the electric SUV will be exported to various regions including Europe and Japan.
Suzuki Motor Corporation, which holds about 58 per cent stake in Maruti Suzuki India, plans to make India a global production hub for this model.
“We plan to start production of eVITARA at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant in the coming few months.” “From here we will export to over 100 countries including Europe and Japan,” Suzuki said. He said that in India, the automaker will build a BEV ecosystem using all its resources to provide customers with a complete peace of mind experience. Suzuki said this will ensure that customers feel very comfortable and confident while choosing a BEV.
He said the eVITARA is Suzuki’s first global strategic battery electric vehicle, which has been long awaited in India and many parts of the world. Suzuki said the company is studying in detail the customer requirements for BEVs across the globe, especially in its key business regions – India, Japan and Europe.
He said based on the study, the automaker aims to make BEVs attractive to customers through a three-step strategy, which includes the development of BEV-dedicated platforms for optimum performance.
Second, developing the right products for target markets based on customer requirements.
Third, leveraging the company’s global economies of scale and concentrating manufacturing in one place for the world.
“For this purpose, we have chosen India as the global manufacturing base due to its quality products and ability to scale,” Suzuki said. Speaking at the launch, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said, “We have invested over Rs 2,100 crore to manufacture the eVitara in India, including a dedicated EV production line.” He added that the company aims to create electric eco solutions for customers through the “E for Me” initiative. Suzuki said Maruti Suzuki will also offer installation assistance as well as smart home chargers to ensure convenience of its customers. “We will leverage our vast network to provide fast charging support to our customers in the top 100 cities in the first phase and then expand further. Our idea is to have a Maruti Suzuki charging point every 5 to 10 kilometres in these cities,” he said.
Further, he added, “We are preparing over 1,500 EV-enabled service workshops in over 1,000 cities. These workshops will have specially trained staff and specialised equipment to provide all EV-related support, including charging.” eVITARA will have two battery options – 49kWh and 61kWh, with a driving range of around 500 kilometres on a single charge.
