Suzuki showcased a concept electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) at India’s biennial auto exhibition on Wednesday. The President of the Japanese car manufacturer stated that the vehicle will be available for launch in 2025.
“I’m delighted to unveil the eVX, a concept SUV of our first global strategic EV (electric vehicle). We plan to bring it to market by 2025,” said Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki, speaking at an auto show event on the outskirts of the capital city of New Delhi.
According to Maruti Suzuki India, the upcoming mid-sized vehicle named ‘eVX’ will be powered by a 60 kWh battery pack, offering a driving range of up to 550 kilometers. Additionally, Suzuki Motor Corp. announced plans to invest more than 104 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) in India’s electrification efforts, which includes the establishment of a battery plant for electric vehicles starting in 2026. This makes it one of the company’s largest investments in battery and electric vehicle technology globally.
Maruti Suzuki faces increased competition from other companies as consumers are gravitating towards larger vehicles such as SUVs and as regulators push for safer and more environmentally friendly cars, which raises costs. As a result, its market share has dropped to below 43%, down from over 50% in 2019. The company views the shift towards electric vehicles as a challenge, and is advocating for government incentives for a wide range of clean technologies such as hybrid and ethanol, not just EVs.
“We believe that deployment of multiple technologies … will help to achieve the national goal of lowering emissions and oil consumption,” said Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director, Maruti Suzuki India.
India is encouraging car manufacturers to increase production of electric vehicles by providing significant financial incentives. The government aims to achieve a 30% market share for electric cars by 2030, however currently electric cars account for less than 1% of total car sales in India.
