Maruti’s first electric SUV, the eVitara, is in production and exports have begun.Maruti Suzuki said it will enter the domestic electric car market only with a “complete solution” for consumers, while Hyundai Motor India is sharpening its focus on aspirations, accessibility, and cleaner technology in line with evolving car buyers.
Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer, sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki, pushed back against the perception that the country’s largest carmaker is late to EVs. “The question is not why Maruti is not coming with EVs, but whether you want to offer a part-solution or a total solution,” he said, noting that EVs account for just about 4 per cent of industry sales despite nearly 18 models on offer.
Banerjee outlined four barriers holding back mass adoption: real-world driving range, the ability of EVs to serve as a family’s primary car, after-sales readiness, and resale value. “Early adopters will come, but OEMs ultimately need loyalists,” he said. Maruti’s answer, he added, is to offer multiple technologies-EVs, hybrids, CNG and ICE-across segments, letting customers choose.
Maruti has already showcased its first electric SUV, the eVitara, with production underway at its Gujarat plant. Exports have begun, and domestic test drives and bookings are slated for early next year.
Tarun Garg, chief operating officer and whole-time director at Hyundai Motor India, said the auto industry’s pivot is increasingly aspiration-led. “Creta changed India from a functional small-car market into an aspirational one,” Garg said, adding that Indian consumers now want global design, advanced safety, and technology on par with international markets.
