Maruti Suzuki plans to launch a pure electric vehicle (EV) by 2025 and its e-car could be priced competitively while Tata Motors’ buying of Ford’s Sanand plant in Gujarat could make its EVs cheaper in the medium term.
Maruti’s first EV in 2025
Hisashi Takeuchi, Maruti Suzuki’s chief executive officer (CEO), said that it is difficult to price its first EV model below Rs 10 lakh (Rs 10,00,000) owing to the astronomical cost of technology and batteries.
Takeuchi doesn’t see prices coming down in the medium term. According to him, a cost-effective EV of below Rs 10 lakh is only possible with a lower range — that is, 150 km on a single charge.
Maruti Suzuki’s first EV could be a mid-sized SUV, with length just a tad above 4 metres.
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| Maruti may soon launch an EV like this car. |
This is a clever step by the carmaker as India has seen a phenomenal growth in the SUV space. And, pricing it just above Rs 10 lakh would make it almost a steal (at current prices though).
The model would be developed under Suzuki-Toyota’s pact from the low-cost DNGA modular platform. The architecture supports mega localisation and electric powertrains.
According to him, EVs with smaller batteries would require a wide network of fast-charging stations, which is a big challenge in infrastructure.
Maruti Suzuki has adopted a conservative approach towards electric cars by creating hybrids in the interim. It is not rushing into this space like Tata Motors or Mahindra and Mahindra.
It is undertaking a lengthy test to ensure that its EVs adapt to Indian weather conditions. The auto giant may display the concept of its first electric vehicle at the 2023 Auto Expo.
The first Maruti electric car may have two battery options — 48kWh with 138bhp power and 59kWh with 170bhp — with a range of between 400 km and 500 km on a single charge. It may come with the all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
It is believed that Maruti Suzuki could bring an internal combustion engine (ICE) version of its first EV around Diwali (October or in November).
Tata Motors Sanand unit may roll out budget cars
Tata Motors’ buying of Ford’s Sanand plant in Gujarat would not only help it ramp up production, but one could expect two more things: The automaker giving a wider choice from low-end to the most high-end electric vehicles and doing so in the most cost-effective way.
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| Tata Motors recently launched the Nexon Prime EV. |
For instance, if one has a plan to buy an electric SUV, Tata Motors could, in a few years, give it to a customer at a very low price point that would probably not be matched by any of its rivals.
This plant would strengthen Tata Motors’ position as the clear-cut market leader in India’s EV space.
Currently, the auto giant has clinched 80 per cent share in the electric passenger car market and it hopes to scale up its sales five-fold in just the next financial year.
Tata Motors’ subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEML) has inked a pact for the acquisition of Ford’s manufacturing unit in Sanand for Rs 725.7 crore.
An expert at a domestic brokerage said that it costs around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore to set up a car manufacturing plant. There is also the issue of long-gestation periods for acquiring land for a plant.
TPEML is planning to reconfigure the plant so that it can adapt to Tata Motors’ existing and future vehicle platforms.
But TPEML does not have to worry about land acquisition issues by acquiring this plant
“This deal is a positive move at a time when the EV space is hotting up in India and companies are striking deals and cementing their plans,” an analyst said.
This buy is set to unlock a manufacturing capacity of 300,000 (3 lakh) units per annum. It can be ramped up to 420,000 (4.2 lakh) units per annum.
Tata Motors is upbeat that its EV sales would surpass 100,000 (1 lakh) by the next financial year, company chairman N Chandrasekaran had told shareholders earlier.
Conclusion
So, Maruti and Tata Motors’ plans could prompt even rivals to make cheap EVs, resulting in more budget electric vehicles, maybe in three to four years, and even the battery cost of around Rs 7 lakh (Rs 700,000) must fall sharply for carmakers to play the volume game.
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