Maruti Suzuki not in a rush with EVs, focusing on trust and ecosystem first: Partho Banerjee

Based on an interaction with Arpit Mahendra.

Maruti Suzuki India is taking a deliberate and measured approach to electric vehicles. Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, says the brand views its EV foray as a 2.0 chapter in India, similar to how it began its journey in the country four decades ago.

We recently spoke to Banerjee and he explained the company’s EV strategy as the company’s first-ever EV, the e-Vitara, nears its launch on our shores.

On being asked why the company chose to start its EV journey with a born-electric platform rather than converting an existing ICE model, Banerjee said the decision was clear from the very beginning. According to him, adapting an ICE platform for an electric vehicle would have meant compromises. A dedicated EV platform allows better use of space, a longer wheelbase, improved legroom and a more comfortable seating posture. He added that aspects like ingress and egress improve significantly when a car is designed as an EV from the ground up.




Speaking about ownership and the larger EV ecosystem, Banerjee pointed out that EV penetration in India is still very low, currently around 4 to 4.5 percent. While there are many EV products in the market, the overall volumes remain small. At present, monthly EV volumes in India stand at around 17,000 to 18,000 units across more than 27 products.

He explained that concerns around charging infrastructure, aftersales support and the product itself continue to influence buyer confidence. As a market leader, Banerjee said Maruti Suzuki believes it is important to first “set the house in order” and build trust before launching an EV. He revealed that the company’s electric SUV is already running on UK roads and will begin sales in Japan soon. In fact, the product is being manufactured at MSIL’s Gujarat facility and is being shipped overseas. Despite this, the company has chosen not to rush the launch in India.

That said, the company is currently focusing on building assurance for customers. As part of this push, the company has announced plans to set up over one lakh charging points across India by 2030, aiming to build the country’s largest fast-charging OEM network. The carmaker has already partnered with 13 charge-point operators and installed 2,000 chargers across 1,100 cities. There will be a strong focus on highways and expressways, targeting a charger every 5–10 km in key areas across the top 100 cities.

Along with this, the company believes it needs to be present across segments and technologies, ranging from hatchbacks and sedans to SUVs, and from ICE and EVs to strong hybrids, CNG and flex-fuel, giving customers the freedom to choose what suits their needs best.Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.