Suzuki expands EV production in India

Suzuki is massively expanding its production capacities in India - including for electric cars. The Indian offshoot Maruti Suzuki announced a completely new vehicle plant in the state of Gujarat and plans to expand its existing plant there. For example, it will build the eVX electric SUV destined for global markets in India.

The car plant now announced is located in the state of Gujarat and will have an annual capacity of one million vehicles. It is scheduled to open in the 2028/2029 financial year. Maruti Suzuki will announce the exact location and the models planned for the new plant at a later date. The carmaker will invest 350 billion rupees in the new factory, the equivalent of 3.84 billion euros.

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki will add a fourth production line at the existing Gujarat plant to increase the production of electric cars. The new production line with an annual capacity of 250,000 units is intended exclusively for electric vehicles and is scheduled to go into operation in the 2026/2027 financial year. Maruti Suzuki said it will invest 32 billion rupees, or just over 350 million euros, in the expansion.

It will increase the capacity of the existing plant to one million cars. Maruti Suzuki will thus be able to produce two million cars in the state of Gujarat alone. That figure is set to rise to around four million throughout India by 2031.

In August 2022, Suzuki began building factories for electric cars and batteries in India. The car plant in Kharkhoda in the state of Haryana is scheduled to go into operation in 2025 with an initial annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles. The battery plant in Gujarat will open in 2026.

Suzuki also confirmed that its electric SUV eVX, destined for global markets, will be built in India. The production version is due to be unveiled at the end of 2024. The futuristically designed study of the eVX, presented in India about a year ago, is 4.30 metres long. The other dimensions of the eVX are also only slightly larger than a VW ID.3. The battery of the electric Suzuki is said to have a capacity of around 60 kWh.

Around a year ago, the Japanese manufacturer presented its growth strategy until 2030. It envisages a total investment of 4.5 trillion yen (around 31 billion euros), almost half of which will flow into the development and production of electrified vehicles.

marutisuzuki.com (production), hindustantimes.com (eVX)