For years the question hung over the industry: when would India’s largest carmaker actually sell an electric car? The wait is over. Maruti Suzuki has taken the covers off the eVX, a born-electric mid-size SUV that arrives with a claimed range figure of around 500 kilometres.
It is a significant moment. Maruti has been publicly cautious on EVs, arguing the charging infrastructure was not ready. The eVX signals the company now believes the market has arrived.
Built on a dedicated platform
Unlike converted combustion cars, the eVX rides on a skateboard architecture developed with Toyota, with the battery flat in the floor. That means a genuinely flat cabin and a wheelbase that punches above the exterior footprint.
Two battery options are expected, with the larger pack chasing that headline range number and the smaller one keeping the entry price sharp.
Maruti does not move first. It moves when it is sure the volume is there.
— An industry analyst
The stakes
Maruti’s distribution reach is unmatched, and that is the eVX’s real weapon. An EV in every district showroom changes the maths for millions of first-time electric buyers.
Pricing will decide everything. If Maruti prices the eVX the way it prices everything else — aggressively — the rest of the segment has a serious problem.