Maruti Suzuki gears up for EV push, ramps up its Gujarat facility
New Delhi: Preparing to step up its electric vehicle (EV) play, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has started production at a new manufacturing
New Delhi: Preparing to step up its electric vehicle (EV) play, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has started production at a new manufacturing plant at its Gujarat facility, easing capacity constraints that have so far held back supplies of its maiden EV, the eVitara, in the domestic market. Built at an investment of ₹3,900 crore, the new plant at Hansalpur has an annual capacity of making 250,000 EVs, taking the facility’s total capacity to 1 million units. Maruti’s overall annual manufacturing capacity across its four plants is now 2.9 million vehicles, as the company works towards its target of 4 million units by 2030. Manufacturing is currently spread across four plants: Hansalpur in Gujarat—its only facility manufacturing EVs—and Gurugram, Kharkhoda and Manesar in Haryana. The eVitara has so far been focused on exports with a limited capacity of 2,000 per month for the domestic market, restricting its sales in a competitive market that counts Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Mahindra & Mahinda and JSW MG Motor India as the top three players. Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 What is Maruti Suzuki's new electric vehicle manufacturing capacity in Gujarat? ⌵ Maruti Suzuki's new manufacturing plant in Gujarat has an annual capacity to produce 250,000 electric vehicles, increasing the total capacity at the Hansalpur facility to 1 million vehicles.
2 Why is Maruti Suzuki expanding its electric vehicle production capacity? ⌵ The expansion aims to meet growing domestic and international demand for electric vehicles, as well as to overcome previous capacity constraints that limited the availability of the eVitara model. 3 How has Maruti Suzuki's eVitara performed in the domestic market? ⌵ The eVitara has faced limited domestic sales due to production constraints, with only 2,000 units produced per month, while nearly 8,000 units have been sold domestically since its launch. 4 What challenges has Maruti Suzuki faced in electric vehicle production? ⌵ Maruti Suzuki has encountered challenges related to limited EV capacity, missing targets for EV production, and the need to fulfill prior commitments before scaling up operations. 5 Should potential buyers of Maruti's eVitara be concerned about its production limitations? ⌵ Yes, potential buyers might find concerns regarding availability due to earlier production limitations, but the new facility aims to enhance supply and meet rising demand. “The start of commercial production at the fourth plant of our Hansalpur facility augments its annual production capacity to 1 million vehicles, making it India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturing facility at a single location,” Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director and chief executive officer, Maruti Suzuki, said in a statement on Thursday.
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