Maruti Suzuki plans to discontinue the pure Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and will sell only Hybrids, Electric Vehicles (EVs), CNG, and even Compressed BioGas (CBG) based model by the end of 2030.
Maruti Suzuki New Plan: What you need to know!
Maruti Suzuki’s ambitious strategy involves a significant shift for the Indo-Japanese manufacturer. Currently, the majority of their models rely on the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). While they do offer a few CNG and strong hybrid variants, their fully electric model won’t debut until the following year. It’s important to note that Maruti Suzuki is aiming to transition away from ICE, but they haven’t committed to an full focus on the electric vehicles (EVs).
Their approach includes diversifying their product line-up with alternatives such as strong hybrids, flex fuel, CNG, and Compressed BioGas (CBG). We know that flex fuels, CNG, strong hybrids, and CBG will still involve ICE engines, but the main objective is to move beyond conventional ICE engines that rely on fossil fuels like petrol, and make further reductions in carbon emissions.
Maruti Suzuki has taken the substantial steps in the direction by making significant investments in these technologies. They’ve committed a total of Rs. 10,300 crore for their EV infrastructure. Out of this, Rs. 7,300 crore is allocated for establishing a new lithium-ion cell and battery pack manufacturing unit, while Rs. 3,000 crore is dedicated to EV manufacturing. All these facilities are planned for Gujarat based on their agreements.
According to the Executive Corporate Affairs Officer, Maruti Suzuki aims to equip every car sold in India with carbon reduction technology by 2030. Their first electric vehicle is scheduled to launch late next year, and its designed to be exported to other countries as well. Notably, this EV is a sophisticated creation featuring a 60 kWh battery pack offering an impressive driving range of 550 KMs. It’s important to highlight that this EV is built from the ground up, distinguishing it from some existing EVs that are adapted from their ICE counterparts.
While reducing carbon emissions is undoubtedly a commendable goal, the current challenge lies in EV ownership. The cost of EVs is nearly double that of traditional vehicles, primarily due to the high expense of battery technology, which accounts for approximately 70% of the vehicle cost. The hope is that as battery production scales up and prices begin to decline, EV adoption will increase. This is the objective Maruti Suzuki is striving for. Whether they can achieve this transformation before 2030 remains to be seen.
