Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first of the two major projects at the Suzuki Motor Plant in Hansalpur, Gujarat. This includes the flag off of the first unit of the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara to be rolled off the production line. It will be followed by the inauguration of the first plant to produce hybrid battery electrodes. The event took place in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Ambassador of Japan, Keiichi Ono
In a previous tweet, PM Modi called the inauguration of the plant "a special day in India's quest for self-reliance', as the battery electric vehicles produced at the facility will be exported to 100 countries around the globe. Initiating the operation, the first unit of the e-Vitara will be exported to the UK.
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The e-Vitara was first introduced globally in Europe late last year and was showcased in India at the Bharat Mobility Show 2025. It is constructed on the 40PL dedicated EV platform, created in collaboration with Toyota, which will also produce a Toyota version called the Urban Cruiser EV.
This electric SUV will offer two battery options: 49kWh and 61kWh, with the larger battery available in a dual-motor AWD (AllGrip-e) configuration. Details regarding the variants, features, and the launch timeline in India are expected to be revealed in the near future.
The anticipated starting price for the electric SUV is approximately Rs 20 lakh, ex-showroom. Once launched, it will go up against competitors such as the Mahindra BE6, Hyundai Creta Electric, MG ZS EV, and others.
The manufacturing plant for Li-ion battery cells and electrodes for strong hybrid vehicles at the TDS Li-Ion Battery Gujarat (TDSG) facility in Hansalpur is to be inaugurated by PM Modi next. It is a collaboration among Toshiba, Denso, and Suzuki.