Backed by various government policies, the EV business in India has had commendable growth in recent years. We saw many manufacturers roll out their all-electric offerings. The number of early adopters boomed even with technology and infrastructure still in their nascent phases. In a recent speech, the honourable Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari spoke about how an automotive giant ignored his advice to take the EV route. While he refrained from mentioning the name of the manufacturer, it was Maruti Suzuki that he was talking about. The minister criticized the OEM for not listening to him and claimed they had lost some of their business prospects by doing so.
Gadkari emphasized the need to bring about cost-effective and eco-friendly mobility solutions. The companies who are unwilling to embrace change such as these could be in for a very rough ride, in the forthcoming time. He says “A good friend of mine who is a giant in the automobile industry… I kept telling him to adopt electric vehicles, but he never made the decision.” Though unclear, the person being talked about, could be MSIL’s RC Bhargava or other high-ranking officials. The minister further said “Now, my friend tells me (that) back then we didn’t take you seriously cause our experience related to politicians was not very credible”
Maruti Suzuki has had high pressure on them, after they refused to jump on the EV bandwagon, during the early stages of adoption. The manufacturer skillfully ignored the sudden affinity towards EVs, and focused on developing more practical alternatives like CNG, ethanol, biogas, hybrids etc. By doing so, MSIL made a clear statement that they would not rush towards EVs, and would rather take a slower path with more precision and perfection.
This strategy was criticized by many, the most recent being the Union Minister himself. Most people saw it as a complete reluctance to make electric cars, until when Maruti Suzuki finally announced the eVX. The electric SUV is set to launch by March 2025. A 60 kWh battery pack is expected on the production form, offering around 550 km in range. It is noteworthy how Maruti tries to address the range anxieties of future EVX owners and maintain the brand trait of being fuel (energy) efficient.
Maruti Was Right In Staying Away From EVs?
Well, as it turns out, Maruti seems to have made the right choice by not rushing towards EVs, and focussing on hybrids instead. The initial boom within the EV market was substantial, amounting to approx. 50% YoY growth. However, the winds of growth seem to have settled down after the early adopters. The electric car market is now more or less plateauing.
Recent months have even recorded degrowths in many electric car and SUV segments. The recent axing of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme has only added to the drop. Experts say that a wholesome recovery could be impossible under the prevailing circumstances.
This slowdown is global, and not just limited to the Indian market. People all over the world are slowly moving away from electric vehicles, likely due to their limitations. The industry which was once expected to grow exponentially, is now seen as weak and vulnerable in many countries. Globally, many manufacturers have already taken U-turns from their EV-only visions for 2030. Stellantis, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, and Ford have all made it clear that they will not be EV-only brands and will focus on hybrids instead.
Hybrid vehicles are currently rising in acceptance in most parts of the world. People seem to love their practicality, higher fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. Hybrids of various forms (Strong, Series etc) are available today, and research is being carried out to further develop this technology.
Maruti has been focussing extensively on developing reliable hybrid technology and perfecting it for use on popular monikers. This, was initially ignored by many critics. Through the JV with Toyota, it now has a couple of strong hybrid models- Invicto and Grand Vitara. There, at present, sell well in most cities.
The sales of hybrid cars and SUVs in general, are on the rise in India, and alternative fuels like CNG also bring significant volumes into various segments. More launches in hybrid and CNG spaces are also expected soon. Thus, MSIL’s decision to stay away from the pre-mature EV boom and work on the more reliable, long-term hybrid and CNG technologies instead, makes sense.
Series Hybrids Incoming!
Series hybrids are among the most anticipated technologies/products in the sustainable mobility space today. Several manufacturers are currently working on democratising this tech. Also called ‘Range Extenders’, these work by using the engine to power a generator that produces electricity for the motors. The electric motors power the wheels. Maruti Suzuki recently revealed its plans of launching series hybrids in the not-so-distant future. The Fronx will be the first of such launches.
The post Maruti Ignored My Advice On Electric Cars: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari [Video] first appeared on Cartoq.
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