GRAND PLAN

Talking about Maruti Suzukt’s electric future and sustainability with C V Raman, CTO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

It is heartening to see Maruti Suzuki entering the EV segment, tell us more about the eVX concept.

The eVX is based on a ground-up EV platform, which is going to have a 60kWh battery pack with a range of about 550km. The wheelbase is long and the overhangs are short to maximise the space inside and offer a high seating position. The interior will offer impressive passenger and luggage space. It's all SUV strong shoulder line, wheel arches which are, you know, magnified, sporty, then a high hood line, and a very strong front and rear styling. And so, overall I think a mid-size SUV kind of a vehicle, which we tried to show as a concept, is what you may see in future. So what you may see in future will be something which is going to be based on this in 2025. We will have a 4x4 also. So it’s a dedicated EV platform.

How long has it taken to develop this platform?

From now until 2025 the localisation and the development of this product will happen. Suzuki is investing ` 10,000 crore in this project in Gujarat which includes the manufacturing and the battery plant. Localisation is one big aspect that we are looking at as the battery is a large component. In future, we will have to look at how we localise other aggregates. That’s something we need to do, so that’s the time which is required for building the vehicle and then bringing it to mass production in two years.