NEW DELHI: If there is one word that best describes the 2025 edition of Bharat Mobility Global Expo, it would simply be ‘electric’. Green is the theme across mega auto show.
Cutting across price points and brands, nearly all the big launches at the annual automobile extravaganza had a heavy dose of sustainability, as companies vied with each other to roll out clean cars in line with the govt’s push for EVs.
Maruti Suzuki, the country’s biggest carmaker which is seen as a latecomer to the EV gang, boldly announced just before unveiling its debut green car, “The Wait Is Over”. Maruti Suzuki has invested Rs 2,100 crore to manufacture eVitara, which promises a range of around 500 km/single charge (final figures yet to be arrived at). It will likely to hit Indian roads towards middle of the year.
Suzuki, which will also supply a version of the car to compatriot Toyota, will make it exclusively at its Gujarat factory and will initially start with exports to Europe and Japan. “India will be the global manufacturing hub for eVitara and this model will be exported to as many as 100 countries, riding on India’s quality of manufacturing and scale,” Global president T Suzuki said.
Apart from providing home chargers, the company plans to have fast chargers at dealerships across top 100 cities. “We want to ensure that our customers have access to a fast-charging network in a radius of around 5-10 km,” said Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer (marketing & sales).
If Maruti gets serious about a category, can close rival Hyundai be far behind? The Korean company, which had so far been selling EVs at the luxury-end of the market through models such as Ioniq, put its best foot forward as it unveiled a green version of its best-seller Creta. It comes with an attractive price tag of Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom) and sales of the model will start immediately. The car has a range of 473 km and Hyundai is also taking steps to set up a charging infrastructure. “We want to have 600 charging stations in next seven years, including both dealerships and company-owned ones. For example, in Tamil Nadu, we are setting up 100 charging stations by 2027 and we will replicate that model in other states,” company MD Unsoo Kim said.
JSW MG, now a joint venture between Sajjan Jindal’s steel to paints group and Chinese SAIC, moved ahead with its promise of focusing on new energy vehicles. It showcased two new electric cars – Cyberster roadster and M9 MPV. Both are aimed at creating a line-up for its newly-launched ‘Select’ premium dealer network, with M9 promising a range of 500 km. “We are fully focused on sustainable mobility and our new launches are clearly driven in this direction,” Parth Jindal, Director of JSW MG, said.
Tata Motors, the biggest seller of electrics in the country, is seeking to grow its green fleet further with an electric version of Harrier, with a range of over 500 km. The new offering is expected to be launched soon, carrying a price tag of around Rs 20 lakh. The company already sells electric versions of Punch, Nexon and Curvv SUVs, apart from Tiago mini and Tigor.
“This is just the beginning. With relentless innovation and a deep commitment to sustainability, Tata Motors is determined to accelerate the transformation towards a future that is greener and safer,” Shailesh Chandra, MD of passenger vehicles and EV cars businesses, said. The company has already sold over 2 lakh EVs in the country.
Another local heavyweight Mahindra & Mahindra, which has been bullish on EVs, also displayed its newly-unveiled electrics – BE6 and XEV9e. Mahindra is hoping that the ‘born EV’ cars, which sport a futuristic design language, will help it create a significant market in electrics.
While competition was focused on electrics, Toyota Kirloskar displayed concept cars with hydrogen and flex fuel at its pavilion, with vice chairperson Manasi Kirloskar arguing that the company is focused on growing the share of clean, electrified cars in its portfolio. “We are aligned with govt’s focus on promoting sustainable mobility.”
On the luxury side, companies such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW also put up their electrics on display. BMW introduced the first ‘Made in India’ X1 Long Wheelbase all-electric SUV at a price of Rs 49 lakh (ex-showroom). “As the first ‘Made in India’ EV from BMW, this car beckons a new era of innovation and excellence,” company CEO Vikram Pawah said.
Rival Mercedes is displaying its newly-launched electric G-Class, which has a price tag of Rs 3 crore. “We are already stocked out as the first lot of 85 cars is sold,” company MD & CEO Santosh Iyer said.