Range worries keep EVs as second cars: Maruti Suzuki's Partho Banerjee

Customers are still hesitant to buy electric vehicles (EVs) as their primary car due to concerns around public charging infrastructure, accuracy of driving range and assured resale value — issues that largely remain unresolved, Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) Partho Banerjee said.

 

Maruti Suzuki, which plans to launch its first electric vehicle, the e Vitara, in the domestic market next year, is seeking to address these concerns as it works to strengthen the overall EV ecosystem in the country.

 

He noted that electric car penetration in India would increase only when consumers gain the confidence to buy EVs as their primary household vehicle. “We believe that the customer is not confident (about EVs). The initial products that were launched, and the experiences from those, have created a huge amount of negativity in the minds of people regarding the driving range,” Banerjee said, adding that most EV buyers currently use them as secondary vehicles.

 

“It’s not the primary car. Since public infrastructure is not there, the buyer doesn’t want to take a chance. So if he wants to buy his first vehicle, it happens to be not in EV, but in ICE or some other vehicle,” Banerjee told reporters here during a media roundtable.

 

By FY30, Maruti Suzuki plans to have five EV models in its overall product portfolio. “By then, the industry will be around 5.5–6 million and EV penetration will be around 13–15 per cent. But this was before GST 2.0. So, we now have to reassess the market since there are reports that post GST 2.0, the penetration of EVs is going down. The ideal time to do it will be next FY,” he said.

 

Banerjee identified driving range, inadequate public charging infrastructure, after-sales support and resale value as the biggest challenges to EV adoption in India. “We are trying to instil confidence in the customers before they acquire an EV. If the buyer is not confident about the entire ecosystem, he will not buy an EV,” he said.

 

The automaker plans to have 1,500 EV-enabled workshops across 1,100 cities and has already set up 2,000 charging points. “For the resale value, we are going to have an assured buyback scheme and subscription scheme as well,” Banerjee said.

 

Maruti Suzuki has already begun exports of the e Vitara, having shipped 10,000 units to 26 markets.

 

As part of efforts to deepen the EV ecosystem, the company plans to localise battery production and other critical components over the next few years. “Right now, we are importing the batteries but yes we have a plan for localisation. It is very much on the cards in a phased manner over the next few years,” Banerjee told reporters.

 

Acknowledging that the lack of a robust EV ecosystem has constrained growth compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, he said original equipment manufacturers must first ensure product quality, strong after-sales service and a reliable ecosystem to build consumer trust.

 

The company plans to introduce multiple electric models across body styles and aims to set up around one lakh charging stations by 2030 in partnership with dealers and charging point operators as it seeks to attain leadership in the EV segment.