India to become EV export hub for Suzuki: Toshihiro Suzuki

As Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, gears to launch its first electric vehicle, e-Vitaara, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo on January 17, Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President at Suzuki Motor Corporation said that India would become an export hub for Maruti Suzuki. 

“For daily EV manufacturing, India will be a global production hub. We are going to export e-Vitaara from India to Europe and then Japan. And we would like to fully leverage India's scale merit so that the vehicle can be exported from here to the world,” Suzuki said at a media roundtable. 

“And India is not going to become an export hub only for EVs, but also for hybrids as well as Maruti Suzuki’s current vehicle portfolio,” he added.

With the launch of e-Vitaara, Maruti Suzuki will be joining the league of domestic and global automakers who are betting big on the country’s growing EV opportunity, particularly in the SUV (sports utility vehicle) segment. Notably, the company plans to launch EV in the small car segment, according to Suzuki. 

“My personal feeling is that in the case of EVs, it will be the best to use compact vehicles. Instead of focusing on the big, one has to master properly the manufacturing techniques of EVs today. After grasping fully the manufacturing of EVs, we would like to shift EVs for small cars as well,” said Suzuki. 

According to Suzuki, following the launch of e-Vitaara, Maruti Suzuki would like to capture the feedback from the customers. “Maruti Suzuki would like to actually absorb and become our voice. And we would like to excel in manufacturing of the electric vehicles,” said Suzuki. 

Small cars won’t cease to exist

While Maruti Suzuki continues to helm the country’s passenger vehicle segment, it is however losing ground in the small car segment. Toshihiro, however, believes that small cars would not cease to exist. “I don’t think small cars would cease to exist. There are one billion people who are likely to shift from two-wheelers to four-wheelers in future, and they would need affordable and small car,” said Suzuki. 

Bullish on multi-powertrain technology 

Maruti Suzuki is bullish about its multi-powertrain strategy. “We would like to go by multi-pathway strategy, like in which segment, what kind of mobility is required, and in what area, what kind of mobility is required. So we would like to understand that,” said Suzuki. 

While Maruti Suzuki discontinued its diesel powertrain in 2020. Suzuki, however  said that in the world diesel might revive somewhere.