Maruti Suzuki unveils first electric SUV e VITARA, plans to export to 100 countries

"First is to develop a BEV dedicated platform for optimum performance. Second is to evolve the right product for the target markets, based on customer requirements. The third is to leverage our global economies of scale and concentrate manufacturing at a single location for the world. For this purpose, we have chosen India as the global manufacturing base due to its quality products, and scale merit," he said at the unveiling of the model at the Auto Expo, held as part of the Bharat Mobility Show.

The stock price of the automaker closed 0.14 percent higher at Rs 12,109.05 on NSE.

The carmaker revealed that the e VITARA will be showcased through a phased rollout across NEXA dealerships nationwide. The electric model will also be exported to over 100 countries, including Japan and Europe, establishing India as a global hub for EV manufacturing, the company said.

Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, said the EV has been equipped with advanced features and powerful battery pack options. “The e VITARA is an SUV built on the all-new platform, called HEARTECT-e, exclusively designed for electric vehicles. It comes with highly efficient battery pack options to deliver more than 500 km for 61kWh on a single charge. We have equipped the  e VITARA  with several premium  and advanced  features  such as Level 2 ADAS, integrated digital display, and next-gen Suzuki Connect.”

This will ensure that customers feel very comfortable and confident when making the BEV choice, Suzuki said.

e VITARA is Suzuki's first global strategic battery electric vehicle, which has been long-awaited in India and many parts of the world, he added.

"We have invested more than Rs 2,100 crore for manufacturing e VITARA in India, which includes a dedicated EV production line," he said.

Takeuchi explained how the company is trying to boost the adoption of electric vehicles. He said Maruti Suzuki's goal is to create electric eco-solutions for customers through its "e for me" initiative. Under this, the company will offer smart home chargers along with installation support, leverage vast network to provide fast charging support in the top 100 cities in the first phase, and then expand further, Takeuchi said.

"The idea is that, within these cities, every 5 to 10 km a customer finds a charging point by Maruti Suzuki."

We are also preparing 1,500 EV enabled service workshops covering over 1,000 cities with specially trained manpower and special equipment to address all EV related support, including charging.  Additionally, we will provide roadside assistance all over India, he added.

The EV will also have 7 airbags (including driver side knee airbag) as standard across the range and Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), next-gen Suzuki Connect with over 60 features, advance structural design with energy absorbing battery pack mounting structure for enhanced safety, the company statement said.