On March 23, Zhichepai learned from foreign media that Japanese automobile manufacturer Suzuki signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indian state of Gujarat to invest in the manufacture of electric vehicles and electric vehicle batteries. It is expected to invest about 150 billion yen (about 7.876 billion yuan) in the next few years.
The plan includes: by 2025, the construction of a battery factory (land near SMG) to increase the BEV (pure electric vehicle) manufacturing capacity of Suzuki Motors Gujarat Pte Ltd (SMG). In the case of Suzuki, the aim is to electrify small electric vehicles. The company has more than 50% market share in India (passenger car segment), which also means that Suzuki's electrification efforts will be significant for the entire EV segment.
Speaking at the forum, Mr. Toshihiro Suzuki said, "Suzuki's mission in the future is to achieve carbon neutrality with small cars. "We will continue to invest aggressively in India to achieve self-reliance in India (Atma-nirbhar Bharat)."
According to the mid-term management plan released in 2021, Suzuki has finally begun to switch to electric vehicles. In the case of full-size cars, the company is expected to rely on alliances with Toyota. For example, the plug-in hybrid Suzuki Across PHEV was launched in Europe, in fact, it is the relabeled Toyota RAV4 Prime.
Only time will tell what progress Will Be made in Electrification in India, but on the other hand, it is a huge opportunity to develop entry-level all-electric models for India and possibly export them.