EVolution drives in at electric speed

GREATER NOIDA: India’s biggest automotive players drove fearlessly into the future of mobility on Wednesday with a slew of EV unveilings and concepts at Auto Expo 2023 that appeared to crush any shard of doubt about electrics being the evolving industry's final pit stop.

In keeping with the growing shift towards off-roaders that now account for over 40% of the cars sold in the country, most of the electrics and conventional fuel offerings lined up at the expo were SUVs.

Maruti Suzuki bit the bullet by unveiling its much awaited electric SUV (eVX), although it remains a concept for now. The company, which has been a late entrant into the electric space (the car showcased here will hit the streets in 2025), conceded that full-battery vehicles were the way forward, even though it still made a case for hybrids, CNGs and flex fuels as intermediate green technologies.

“I am delighted to unveil the Concept eVX, our first global strategic EV. We plan to bring it to the market by 2025. At the Suzuki Group, addressing global warming is a priority… Here in India, we will invest Rs 10,000 crore in the production of battery electric vehicles and their batteries," said Toshihiro Suzuki, global president of Maruti's parent Suzuki Motor Corp. Inspired by the concept of "Emotional Versatile Cruiser", the eVX's progressive SUV silhouette is distinct from that of a conventional SUV. With a battery capacity of 60kWh, it promises a single-charge range of 550 km.

Not to be left behind in the EV launch race was Maruti's close rival Hyundai. The company, which so far had a limited presence in electrics with the Kona, launched its much acclaimed and stylish Ioniq5 electric SUV, for which it flew in long-time brand ambassador and Bollywood superhero Shahrukh Khan. The company has priced the car at Rs 44. 95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 bookings.

Ioniq5 promises a single charge run of 631km, according to ARAI. The car is designed to produce a power output of 160 kW (217 ps) and 350 Nm (35. 7 kgm) of torque.

The Korean maker has said it will invest over Rs 4,000 crore in the electric vehicles space, aiming to roll out six all-battery vehicles by 2028.

While Mahindra & Mahindra gave the expo a miss after unveiling five new electric SUVs at a specially-crafted event near London in August last year, compatriot Tata Motors was present in full force. The company, which is the biggest EV seller in the country with green versions of the Nexon SUV, Tiago hatch and Tigor entry sedan, unveiled a large number of green cars to clearly bring out the fact that it is betting heavily on the green technology. The cars, unveiled by Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran andTata Motors’ Passenger Vehicles and Electric Mobility MD Shailesh Chandra, promise to further intensify the homegrown company's efforts in electric mobility.

The showstopper from the company was the electric version of the yesteryears Sierra SUV, which Tata is reviving in a green avatar. The company unveiled the car to loud cheers and declared that the model would hit the roads by 2025. The company also displayed the Avanya concept at the expo. It was first unveiled lastyear in Mumbai and is meant to be an expression of a pure electric vehicle built on its GEN 3 architecture.

Tata Motors, which showcased electric and even hydrogen concepts on its commercial vehicles, also displayed a green version of its Harrier SUV. “Today we are having 10% of our sales coming in from EVs, but I expect this to move to 25% in the next 4-5 years, and as much as 50% by the end of the decade. Electrics are the way forward as far as mobility in the countryis concerned, and we will follow this path whole-heartedly,” Chandra said.

Following the green EV trend was also MG Motors, the British brand owned by China’s SAIC. It unveiled the MG4 electric hatchback, MIFA 9 green MPV, MG5 electric estate, and the Marvel R green SUV. All these are global production-ready models that are being sold in various markets. However, it is still not clear which of the cars unveiled at the expo would be launched in India, and how soon. “Directionally, we are headed for sustainable mobility which will increasingly form a big portion of our sales,” Rajeev Chaba, president and MD of MG India, said.
Hyundai sibling Kia Motors, which had launched the EV6 electric in India last year, also showcased the EV9 concept at the expo.

Lexus India president Naveen Soni said the company unveiled a slew of green vehicles at the expo, which includes hybrids. “What makes this occasion even more special for us is the unveiling of the all-new Lexus RX, which has already gained huge popularity across the globe. We are excited about unveiling the RX 350h luxury hybrid and the RX 500h F-sport performance powertrain line-up. We are confident that these two variants will set a new standard in the Indian luxury car segment. ”Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.