Maruti Suzuki e Vitara: Maruti, the country’s largest car manufacturer, aims to add a production capacity of 20 lakh units with around 28 different models in the market by 2030-31.
Maruti Suzuki India is planning to launch its first electric model E-Vitara in September this year. With this, Maruti will enter the EV market. Maruti is preparing to create a stir in the world of electric vehicles. For this, the company is going to make a big change in its assembly line. A senior company official said that Maruti is making its production capabilities flexible. The objective behind this is to produce more models including electric vehicles from a single manufacturing plant.
28 models will be in the market by 2031
The country’s largest car manufacturer Maruti has set a target of adding a production capacity of 20 lakh units with about 28 different models in the market by 2030-31. At present, the company’s total production capacity with its manufacturing plants in Haryana and Gujarat is 26 lakh units annually. Two plants in Gurugram and Manesar in Haryana produce about 16 lakh units annually. The new plant in Kharkhoda has also started production. Initially, the new facility will have an annual production capacity of 2.5 lakh units and will manufacture the compact SUV Brezza. Suzuki Motor Gujarat, a unit of the company, has also set up a facility in Gujarat with an installed production capacity of 7.5 lakh units per annum.
EV vehicles will weigh more
Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs) Rahul Bharti said that we are making our plants more flexible, so that more lines can produce more models. And we are also keeping in mind that the new line set up can also manufacture electric vehicles. Bharti said that EVs are much heavier vehicles than conventional models due to the weight of the battery. He said that therefore, there is some difference in the production line according to that. But we are making it flexible, whether it is in Gujarat or Kharkhoda (Haryana).
EV vehicles will have lower profits
On a question about profitability from EVs, he said the company is aware that the profitability of EVs by design will be very low and this is true for the entire industry. Bharti said that we cannot expect the same profitability from EVs as IC (conventional) engines. And if that were the case, the government probably would not have needed to come up with five percent goods and services tax (GST) or so many schemes or so many supporting policies. So, we have to be conscious about it.
