A Rs 10 Lakh Maruti EV Could Be Possible But..

With electrification being the trend amongst carmakers, we’re still waiting for Maruti Suzuki to have a proper crack at it. Since they’re known for making mass-market vehicles with usability and affordability, we’re even more excited to see what’s coming. But recently, the carmaker hinted that while this balance can be a possibility in the future, it doesn’t believe it will happen anytime soon, and there are certain compromises that need to happen.

Maruti Suzuki’s recently appointed Managing Director and CEO Hisahi Takeuchi recently stated in a report,  "EV (under INR 10 lakh) is I think difficult because of the cost of the battery. If the customer accepts a very small battery, then it may be possible, but then I think the customer has range anxiety. Like if it is only 150km then he will be concerned about running out of charge.”

One of the main reasons behind the long wait for a Maruti Suzuki electric vehicle was that the carmaker repeatedly asserted the impracticality of EVs, owing to their high cost of development, import and production. Currently, a lithium-ion battery is responsible for a sizable chunk of high EV input costs. The dilemma here is, if you plonk in a larger battery, the price tag will cross the Rs 10 lakh mark. But if you reduce the battery size, then you’ll lose range, thereby increasing range anxiety for the EV owner. Ideal combo for a mass-market EV would be prices starting under Rs 10 lakh and a practical range of about 200km on a single charge.

Hisahi Takeuchi also added that “If the infrastructure is everywhere, and wherever you go, there's always a quick charger available then maybe a very small battery in a less expensive car can be marketed and sold. But right now the environment is not that ready. I think it will take more time.” 

While it will be a long wait to see a Maruti Suzuki EV, steps are being taken by the carmaker to prepare itself for the same. Hisahi Takeuchi stated that, "We are a company that is taking a very conservative approach to EV technology. But we have been testing our vehicles for a long time now because it must be perfectly safe for our customers, and the Indian weather condition is probably one of the toughest environments for an EV.” 

Suzuki also recently entered an agreement with the Gujarat government to invest up to Rs 10,440 crore on local manufacturing of electric cars and EV batteries in the state. But to see the first locally manufactured all-electric model from Maruti is slated to be a long wait, sometime around 2025. 

Source