Suzuki Motor wants electric vehicles to account for about 30% of the entire production, in sync with the Government of India’s plan to increase the electric vehicles ratio to 30% on the roads by 2030
Japanese automobile manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, is planning to heavily invest in the production of electric vehicles in India, as the country is moving to curb pollution and reducing oil imports due to rising prices.
“We want to practice ‘Make in India,’ including the batteries that are indispensable for next-generation cars,” Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation said whole addressing a business event co-hosted by Nikkei on Monday.
To increase share of electric cars
The Japanese automaker entered India in the year 1982 and now controls over half of the auto market share in the country through its local manufacturing unit, Maruti Suzuki India. The company’s chairman said Suzuki’s cars are now nearly 100% produced locally in India.
Suzuki Motor is targeting to sell five million cars in the country in 2030, an increase from 1.65 million cars the company sold in the previous fiscal year ending March. The company wants electric vehicles to account for about 30% of the entire production, in sync with the Government of India’s plan to increase the electric vehicles ratio to 30% on the roads by 2030.
Other vehicles crucial too
In addition, Suzuki Motor said that other types of vehicles, such as hybrids, are also crucial in order to cope with the increasing crude oil prices and environmental measures.
The carmaker has collaborated with automotive components manufacturer Denso Corporation and Japanese multinational Toshiba to build first plant for lithium-ion battery manufacturing in India and would commence production by 2020. Earlier, in September, Suzuki’s Chairman has said that the company would begin road testing of electric vehicles in October.