Eyeing EV top spot, Maruti to set up 100K charging points, launch new range

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Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said it aims to drive in multiple electric models across bodystyles and set up charging infrastructure across the country as it looks to attain leadership in the segment.

The auto major, which is gearing up to introduce its first electric vehicle model e Vitara next year, plans to set up around 1 lakh charging stations by 2030 in partnership with its dealer partners and charging point operators.

"Aligning with our parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation's vision, we will be launching many more electric vehicles across body types and segments in the coming years," Maruti Suzuki India MD and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said in an event here.

In line with this vision, by 2030, the company aims to establish a network of over 1 lakh charging points in partnership with dealers and charge point operators, he added.

"We will be the leader in electric mobility in the country, and as a market leader, all our efforts will be to make EV adoption easier for all our customers," Takeuchi said.

With the preparedness of the charging network, the automaker is set to commence sales of the e Vitara in 2026, he added.

"All our efforts will be to expand the market size of EVs in the industry," Takeuchi said.

He noted that as the company steps into the electric mobility domain, it aims to enter with full readiness in terms of the product and the ecosystem.

The e Vitara has been designed and developed to minimise ownership hurdles, particularly around range anxiety, he added.

Takeuchi stated that it has established a robust network of over 2,000 Maruti Suzuki exclusive charging points across our sales and service touchpoints, spanning more than 1,100 cities.

This includes the top 100 cities with high EV penetration, along with additional locations across the country which have been finalised to ensure that customers travel worry-free inter-city, he added.

In addition, the company is collaborating with 13 leading Charge Point Operators and aggregators to further offer access to a vast charging infrastructure across the country, he added.

"We have invested about Rs 250 crore towards establishing the charging infrastructure across our dealer network and creating the app," Takeuchi said.

The customers can access all the charging points through the 'e for me' app, he said.

The company said it plans to have a 1.5 lakh EV-ready workforce.

On Tuesday, Maruti Suzuki was presented with a comprehensive 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating for e Vitara.