Maruti Suzuki has begun the production of electric vehicles in India with the inauguration of the brand's new Hansalpur manufacturing facility by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event took place in the presence of Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Ambassador of Japan, Keiichi Ono, Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor, and other executives of the brand.
Following the flag off of production, the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara, Suzuki Motor Corporation's President Toshihiro Suzuki, in his speech, announced that the Japanese manufacturer will invest Rs 70 thousand crore in India over the next five to six years.
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"Honorable Prime Minister, Suzuki has proudly partnered in India's mobility journey for over four decades. We remain committed to supporting India's vision for sustainable green mobility and contributing to Viksit Bharat," said Toshihiro Suzuki.
In his speech, the president of Suzuki Motor Corporation also mentioned that the newly inaugurated Gujarat facility will also become one of the world's largest automobile manufacturing hubs and will serve consumers across the globe and in India. It also boasts a planned capacity of 1 million units.
The first vehicle to be produced at this plant will be the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara, which is also the first battery electric vehicle of the brand. The electric SUV will be exported to over 100 countries, including Japan and Europe.
Talking about the achievements, Toshihiro Suzuki also mentioned the start of the production of India's 1 st lithium-ion battery and cell with electrode level localization, which will be used in the brand's hybrid vehicles sold in the Indian market, like the Grand Vitara. These are being manufactured at the Toshiba Denso Suzuki plant here. With only raw material and some semiconductor parts coming from Japan.