Maruti Starts Testing All-electric Cars Under Pilot Project In India

Staying true to its announcement to start testing electric prototype vehicles in India at the MOVE summit last month, the country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has flagged off a fleet of all-electric prototypes based on the Wagon R platform from its Gurugram facility.

The electric vehicles have been developed exclusively by Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan and assembled at Maruti’s Gurugram plant, with the aim to extensively test real-life usage of the vehicles in multiple terrains and climatic conditions.

The data collected by the pilot run would help the company get valuable insights and pave the way for validation and successful launch of all electric vehicles in India. The tests will also help Maruti Suzuki to gather critical inputs based on customer perspectives and will help to create a reliable and suitable EV ecosystem by 2020, the timeline set by the carmaker to roll out its first batch of electric vehicles.

Maruti’s decision to move towards the all-electric bandwagon seems to be aptly timed as CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) norms are set to be introduced in India from the year 2022. Under the new rule, carmakers will have to maintain a minimum standard of average fuel efficiency for cars across their portfolio. Hence, we expect carmakers to launch more hybrids and EVs along with conventionally powered cars to achieve the required target.

It is very likely that the entry-level Wagon R would be the first Maruti car to get an all electric treatment, which would peg it right against established players such as the Mahindra e2oPlus and the upcoming Tigor EV. A small yet significant step for the future of sustainable mobility in India.