Kim noted that Hyundai is looking at developing a complete ecosystem for electric vehicles in the country and is currently focusing on ways to localise production processes
Stepping in line with India’s electrification efforts, auto giant Hyundai is looking to launch around six electric vehicles in India by 2028, for which it will be investing around Rs 4,000 crore in R&D.
Hyundai Motor India MD & CEO S S Kim, in an interaction with news agency PTI, said that the company is gearing up to expand its presence in the EV space in the country in a big way with the first of the six new products being expected to debut next year.
The vehicles will cover a cross section of segments from mass to premium, hatchbacks and SUVs with the first model hitting the market next year. Hyundai already sells one EV model, Kona Electric, in the country.
The company is taking experiences beyond mobility and are strongly focusing on intelligent technology, sustainability and innovation, he said.
“Keeping in line with this thought, we will introduce our dedicated BEV Platform E-GMP as well as modified platforms for battery electric vehicles in India,” Kim noted.
The company’s line-up of six BEVs will cater to multiple segments including mass market and mass premium segments in India, according to Kim.
When asked about the timeline of the launch of the first product under the new programme, Kim noted: “This year is over, there are only a few days left. Hopefully, from next year”.
Kim noted that Hyundai is looking at developing a complete ecosystem for electric vehicles in the country and is currently focusing on ways to localise production processes.
Besides, efforts are on to locate the right set of partners for charging infrastructure as well as other related activities, he added.
“Our R&D team along with the procurement department has done some market research. We are trying to explore some partnerships with local suppliers….we have shortlisted some candidates and we are reviewing their capabilities,” Kim said.
The EV production would happen at the company’s Chennai-based plant, he stated while adding that in the initial phase major components like batteries could be sourced from abroad.
