Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Electric to follow rival’s trail, might launch in two years
The automotive companies are heavily investing in India’s EV industry. While many leading manufacturers have either showcased their EVs or have announced their roadmap for the coming years, the country’s most preferred brand Maruti Suzuki is yet to venture into this segment.
With petrol price hike, rising pollution, the automotive industry is making a commitment to counter global climate change, and Suzuki Motor Corp’s India division seems to join the bandwagon soon. As per The Hindu report, Maruti Suzuki India is planning an electric variant of its popular selling car Wagon R to India.
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Wagon R EV, Maruti Suzuki India’s first EV to hit Indian shores soon
The company announced EV plans in 2018 and is cited to launch its first EV by 2020. While the year passed without a concrete product, a few prying eyes noticed an alleged Wagon R Electric Kei car in July this year with a refreshing design, modern split headlamps, flush front bumper. The year is almost, but we are yet to hear if the supposed EV car has entered the manufacturing facility.
However, the latest report on the line suggests that MSIL might bring its first EV- Wagon R to India in 2024. The company cited the reason for the delay beyond 2020 to be the lack of charging infrastructure and the cost of batteries. However, with major players Tata Motors, MG Motor, Hyundai Motor planning for their EV roadmap till 2028, MSIL is said to leverage the opportunity given the charging infrastructure will increase by then, the report notes.
“We have announced that we will be launching an EV by 2025. For this prototype, development and testing are going on as per schedule. Meanwhile, India’s first lithium-ion cell manufacturing plant with an investment of Rs 1,200 crores has already been commissioned by Suzuki’s joint venture with Toshiba and Denso in Gujarat. Trial production is going on,” an MSIL spokesperson told the outlet.
The car manufacturer is also said to have been investing a good amount in battery technology and for this they have partnered with Toshiba, Denso, to manufacture batteries for its future cars, and supply them to other OEMs as well. With the primary concern being the pricing of mass EVs, the company on several occasions cited that the EV might not be an affordable offering like its other products.
The company’s rival Tata Motors already has two EVs running on the road- Tigor EV and Nexon EV which come under Rs 15 lac. The South Korean conglomerate’s Hyundai subsidiary Hyundai Motor India just recently announced its plan on investing Rs 4,000 crore into EV R&D and bringing at least 6 Battery Electric Vehicles in India by 2028. On that line, MG Motor India also cited its plan to bring an affordable crossover in the country in the price range between 10-15 lac by 2023.
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