As India’s Maruti Suzuki drives deeper into EVs, will its rivals leave it in the dust?

India’s top carmaker says it’s optimistic about demand for electric vehicles as the government aims for 30 per cent of auto sales to be EVs by 2030

But the company faces stiff competition from rivals such as China’s MG Motors, and warns that more work needs to be done on India’s charging network

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A Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. eVX electric sports utility vehicle is seen at at the India Auto Expo 2023 earlier this month. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 1:15pm, 24 Jan 2023Updated: 1:23pm, 24 Jan 2023

Maruti Suzuki, India’s top carmaker, unveiled the prototype of its first all-electric car at the country’s biggest motor show earlier this month, signalling that the New Delhi-based giant is finally ready to make the jump into EVs.

Nearly every second car sold in India is a Maruti-Suzuki, but over a year ago its market share slipped when it lagged behind in launching compact sports utility vehicles. Fans are now wondering if its move into all-electric vehicles will be too little too late, with its first EV not planned to appear on the market until 2025.

India nudged past Japan last year to become the world’s third-largest car market, with 4.25 million new vehicles sold in the South Asia nation compared to 4.2 million in Japan.

Maruti showcased two new compact sports utility vehicles models – Fronx and Jimny – at the January 13-18 car show in Greater Noida, southeast of the Indian capital, alongside its EV prototype, which the company said had “garnered tremendous interest”.

A Maruti Suzuki Jimny sport utility vehicle featured at the India Auto Expo 2023 earlier in January. Photo: Bloomberg

Maruti said it was optimistic about electric car demand in India, but that in order for such vehicles to become mainstream, the “presence of a strong EV charging station network is crucial for mitigating range anxiety, and for faster EV adoption”.