NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday formally entered the electric vehicle segment with the launch of its first battery electric vehicle e-Vitara in the country.
The car market leader has already commenced the exports of the all new mid-sized electric SUV to various markets. Along with parent Suzuki Motor Corporation, the company aims to sell the car in over 100 nations globally.
“This month holds a great significance. 45 years ago, this was the month Maruti was incorporated with the prime objective to put India on wheels. We took small baby steps, and slowly those tiny steps begin to shape something extraordinary today. Today (Tuesday), in the same month of February, we are getting ready to embark on a journey of transformation that will redefine the auto industry,” Maruti Suzuki India senior executive officer (marketing and sales) Partho Banerjee told reporters at a virtual press conference.
The EV penetration in the domestic market has been hovering around 4-5 per cent for the last two years, and it is time that this market takes an exponential leap, he added.
The auto major has launched e-Vitara at 10.99 lakh with BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) ownership plan.
The auto major has launched e-Vitara at Rs 10.99 lakh with BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) ownership plan
Banerjee noted that the e-Vitara comes with 61kWh and 49kWh battery pack options with a drive range of up to 543 km.
Before launching the model in the domestic market, the company built EV ecosystems to systematically take care of every barrier to EV adoption, he said. “Be it the public charging infrastructure, be it the concern of resale value, be it the after sales and service network, be it the product range, we feel it is not the product but an overall package that makes the difference,” he added.