Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off the e Vitara, Maruti Suzuki India’s maiden battery electric vehicle (BEV), from the carmaker’s Hansalpur plant in Gujarat.
Maruti has invested Rs 21,000 crore in its Hansalpur plant, which has an annual production capacity of 7,50,000 units.
The first unit of the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara will be exported to the UK. Overall, the BEV will be shipped to more than 100 markets, including Japan and countries across Europe.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi wrote in a post on X, "Today is a special day in India's quest for self-reliance and being a hub for green mobility. At the programme in Hansalpur, e-VITARA will be flagged off. This Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is made in India and will be exported to over a hundred nations. In a big boost to our battery ecosystem, production of hybrid battery electrodes will also commence at a plant in Gujarat."
The e Vitara will come with two battery pack options - 49kWh and 61kWh. Maruti claimed that the BEV will have a maximum range of over 500km on a single full charge.
The electric SUV is based on a brand new Heartect-e platform. It will be offered with seven airbags and Level-2 ADAS.
For reference, the e Vitara is not only Maruti’s maiden BEV, but also that of its parent, Suzuki Motor Corporation. The production-spec model was initially showcased in India at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025.
Maruti had initially planned to produce around 67,000 units of the e Vitara in FY26. However, the production target was hit by the rare earth magnet shortage due to the export curbs imposed by China in April this year.
Maruti also started the production of lithium-ion battery cells and electrodes for its strong hybrid vehicles at TDS Lithium-Ion Battery Gujarat, which is a joint venture between Toshiba, Denso and Suzuki.
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