Suzuki launches aggressive lineup of six battery EVs for the India market

“In India, we will introduce the SUV Battery EV in FY2024 as announced at Auto Expo 2023, with 6 models to be launched by FY2030. To provide a complete range of products and services, Suzuki will not only provide battery EVs but also carbon neutral internal combustion engine vehicles that use CNG, biogas and ethanol blended fuel,” said India’s top carmaker Maruti Suzuki The parent said in a statement.The document outlines its growth strategy for 2030 in Japan and the global markets.

Suzuki aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its India operations in line with the government’s own deadline to achieve net-zero emissions in the country by 2070.

At the recently held Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki showcased its electric concept SUV, the eVX with a claimed range of 550 kms, which the company plans to launch in 2025. The company said it would invest. 10,000 crores to make EVs and batteries in India.

India accounts for 50-60% of Suzuki’s global operations, making it the Japanese automaker’s largest market, Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki said at the Auto Expo.

Suzuki also expects BEVs to account for almost the same share of sales in its home market, Japan, as it does in India by 2030.

The company has emphasized its approach of developing EVs ground-up for India so that it can benefit from scale and localization efforts, in contrast to the trajectory of other carmakers such as Tata Motors, which has developed two models of EVs derived from its existing internals. generations have been introduced. Combustion-engine (ICE) portfolio.

While both Suzuki and Maruti are building out an EV platform, they are also taking a broader view of the market with several other options like ethanol and flex fuel vehicles, hybrid and CNG. Suzuki had said that the company is in talks with the Indian government to determine the most effective solution for the Indian market.

Maruti Suzuki recently showcased a flex-fuel engine prototype in its popular hatchback WagonR, which can run on ethanol-blended fuel in the 20%-80% range.

Meanwhile, it is increasing its focus on biogas as an alternative fuel solution that can be used to run its CNG vehicles. Maruti Suzuki leads the passenger vehicle CNG vertical in India with a market share of around 70%.

“While we expect the Indian market to grow towards FY2030, we also expect that an increase in the total CO2 emission amount is inevitable despite the reduction in CO2 emissions from products. We will challenge to strike a balance between increasing the units sold and reducing the total CO2 emission amount. Suzuki’s unique initiative to address this challenge is the biogas business, wherein biogas derived from cow dung, a dairy waste mainly seen in rural areas of India, will be produced and supplied. This biogas can be used for CNG models of Suzuki, which accounts for about 70% of the CNG car market in India,” SMC said.

The company has signed an MoU with National Dairy, a Government of India agency for verification of biogas, and has invested in Fujisan Asagiri Biomass, a power generation company based on biogas derived from cow dung in Japan, and is starting its study .