Maruti Suzuki today flagged-off 50 prototype electric vehicles for field testing from its Gurugram facility
Maruti Suzuki has already announced that the company will introduce its first EV in India by 2020 and they showcased Wagon R EV at the MOVE Summit held in Delhi last month. The company officially flagged off prototype electric vehicles for field testing in India today from its Gurugrm facility by Mr CV Raman, Senior Executive Director.
The nation-wide field testing of 50 prototype electric vehicles across different terrain and climate conditions will give lots of information for the company for the development of new electric vehicles for the Indian market. Maruti also want to gather critical inputs based on customer perspectives to electric vehicles in India.
The prototypes electric vehicles are basically the JDM-spec Wagon R and it is developed by the Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan but these prototypes are built at Maruti Suzuki, Gurugram facility. The first EV model from Maruti Suzuki will be based on the next generation Wagon R, which will be launched in February 2019.
The Wagon R EV is expected to be manufactured at Gurugram facility as the regular model is also rolled out from the same facility and the company might make some changes to the production line for electric models. But the battery and other components will come from Suzuki’s new plant in Gujarat.
The company hasn’t revealed much detail about the Wagon R EV showcased the MOVE Summit but some reports have indicated that it might come with 72 V electric system and lithium-ion battery pack. The range is expected to be good and it might come with fast charging also.
Toyota could also play a crucial role in the development of EVs in India and they could also develop a model based on these inputs for emerging markets. Depending on the success of Wagon R EV, the company will expand the EV powertrain option to other affordable models in the portfolio. The government is also giving ample support for manufacturers to make India move towards EVs with schemes like FAME.