Maruti confirms launch timeline for its first EV!
Maruti Suzuki has been updating & launching cars back and forth. It has launched cars in different categories and segments. Maruti even unveiled its first big SUV with strong hybrid technology, the Grand Vitara last month. But what about a fully electric car? Maruti has been quite slow in approaching the EV segment. However, of late it has started working on its new ground-up EV in collaboration with Toyota. Earlier, Maruti was expected to bring the WagonR EV, but it abandoned the plan for a proper ground-up EV. Maruti has codenamed this EV ‘YY8’. Now new details have merged about its launch timeline. In today’s article, let’s talk about Maruti’s first EV and its launch timeline.
Maruti EV launch – new development
As mentioned above, Maruti is taking it slow in the EV segment. It wants the infrastructure to be ready before it introduces its first electric car. Even though Maruti has started the development of its first EV, its production will start sometime in 2024-25. This was confirmed by Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman RC Bhargava. However, before the EV, Maruti wants to focus on CNG & strong hybrid cars for the time being. He further stated that Maruti is planning a new manufacturing plant in Haryana to meet future demand.
What else do we know?
Maruti is said to be taking a different approach by building a mid-size electric SUV instead of a compact one. For reference, it is expected to be similar in size to the Grand Vitara. What about the wheelbase? Like all ground-up EVs, it will come with a long wheelbase to fit in the battery packs on the floor.
Maruti EV – Specifications
According to reports, the YY8 could come with four-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive options. The four-wheel-drive option will be the more powerful one with dual motors & a 59kWh battery pack, giving it an approximate range of 500km. On the other hand, the two-wheel-drive option will get a single motor and a 48kWh battery pack, giving it an approximate range of 400km.
Maruti’s plan
The YY8 will have heavy localisation to keep the costs in check. According to reports, Maruti plans to assemble the lithium-ion battery packs in India itself. For this purpose, Toyota & Maruti are setting up a large battery manufacturing unit in Gujarat. The lithium-ion cells will be imported from BYD. The local assembling of the cells will give a major cost advantage to Maruti as well as Toyota.
If you have car buying doubts click here to ask! Get the lowest price for car insurance here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook, and Twitter. Also, follow us on Flipboard and Reddit where we have a discussion community.
Comments