- Hyundai MD believes that electrification is a step in the right direction, but OEMs need time to prepare
- Hyundai will assemble the Kona EV at its plant in Chennai and will offer buyers a charging unit along with the vehicle
- The company plans to sell Kona EV in 16 cities in the first phase
Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest carmaker, has called India’s push towards electric vehicles a step in the right direction but said the government needs to clarify policy and give time for proper implementation of EVs under shared mobility platforms like Ola and Uber.
The government plans to order taxi aggregators such as Uber and Ola to convert 40 per cent of their fleet to electric by April 2026, Reuters had reported earlier this month. According to the report, shared mobility providers would have to start converting their fleet as early as next year to achieve 2.5 per cent electrification by 2021, 5 per cent by 2022 and 10 per cent by 2023, before raising it to 40 per cent.
Economic Times reported that SS Kim, MD of the carmaker’s Indian subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India, said that he is not sure whether the Indian government’s plan is officially announced or it’s an unofficial intelligence. According to him, electrification is a step in the right direction, but OEMs need time to prepare for it for he strongly believes that more clarity is needed for a long-term policy framework for the right implementation.
All eyes on Kona
Hyundai, which has committed to introduce 38 cleaner vehicle solutions, including hybrids, electric and fuel cell vehicles globally, will be launching the new Kona EV in India next month. Post its infusion of $300 million in Ola, the company is also considering a mass-market solution with Indian shared mobility providers.
Kim said Hyundai will assemble the Kona EV at its plant in Chennai and will offer buyers a charging unit along with the vehicle. The company, Kim said, will be looking at selling a few hundred units in the first year, given the fact that the electrification ecosystem in the country is yet to evolve.
The company plans to sell Kona EV in 16 cities in the first phase. While Hyundai will be importing its first EV in a knocked-down form, its rival Maruti Suzuki has already started working on localisation of batteries.
(News source – Economic Times)
