In a landmark development for India’s clean mobility sector, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the localized production of hybrid battery electrodes at the Suzuki Motor Plant in Gujarat. During the same event, he also flagged off the export of Maruti Suzuki’s first global battery electric vehicle, the e-Vitara, which will be shipped to over 100 countries, including major markets in Europe and Japan.
Announcing a “new chapter” in India’s Make in India journey at the launch event in Hansalpur, PM Modi said, “From today, electric vehicles made in India will be exported to 100 countries. Along with this, hybrid battery electrolyte manufacturing is also starting today.”
Ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi wrote, “Today is a special day in India’s quest for self-reliance and being a hub for green mobility. At the program in Hansalpur, an 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.”
Mentioning the setup of TDS Lithium-Ion Battery Gujarat Private Limited in the year 2017, PM Modi noted that, to make India a manufacturing hub of electric vehicles, it was also necessary that the country manufacture its own batteries.
In another huge coup for hybrid and electric vehicle battery manufacturing, PM Modi also launched a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant by Suzuki, Toshiba, and Denso.
In his Red Fort speech on Tuesday, PM Modi maintained that the festive season has to be compliant with self-reliance, and people should use swadeshi products.
“This is the season of festivals. Now Navratri, Vijayadashami, Dhanteras, Diwali… all these festivals are coming. These are celebrations of our culture, but they should also be celebrations of self-reliance. Therefore, I want to reiterate my request to you once again that we must adopt a mantra in our lives: whatever we buy will be ‘Made in India’; it will be indigenous,” PM Modi said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
The inauguration of the new facility by PM Modi will enable the plant to produce more than 80 percent of the parts and operations needed to produce lithium-ion batteries and end the current dependency on imports and set up a foundation to export the products.
Through this development, India will also be the global manufacturing hub of electric vehicles for Suzuki.
The eVitara is targeted as an international electric SUV and spans 4,275mm in length, 1,800mm in width, 1,640mm in height and has a 2,700mm wheelbase. It is incorporated with a 3-in-1 electric system that combines the motor, inverter, and transmission. The two battery pack options will consist of a 49 kWh battery pack combined with a front-mounted motor with 144hp and 189 Nm of torque and the 61 kWh battery pack with 174hp and 189 Nm of torque.
For better performance, the large battery is likely to be available in an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that includes a 65hp motor at the back. The AWD model would gain 184hp and 300 Nm total output, whereas the bigger pack should also have a driving range of over 500km per charge.
Maruti Suzuki will support the e-Vitara with a healthy charging and service infrastructure. Domestic consumers will be supplied with smart home chargers with support in installation, and fast charging should be implemented in the 100 most important cities within 2 to 3 years in an interval of 5 to 10km. The company will even set up 1,500 EV-ready workshops in over 1,000 cities in order to further boost after-sales support.
