Electric vehicles steal the limelight of first day of Auto Expo 2023

India’s flagship motor Auto Expo 2023 limelight hogged by EVs

India’s flagship motor show Auto Expo 2023 was hogged with electric vehicles being showcased. Automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Tata Motors, and MG Motors showcased their futuristic electric vehicles. Having been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the auto show is back after three years with a spectacular show.

Electric vehicles steal the limelight of first day of Auto Expo 2023
Image credits- Money Control

The company’s Indian arm Maruti Suzuki India is among the major manufacturers participating at the expo, in which some major manufacturers such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Volkswagen, and Nissan along with luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi are not participating. The Concept eVX is a mid-size electric SUV concept designed and developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), Japan. It will be powered by a 60 kWh battery pack offering up to 550 km of driving range on a single charge.

“We plan to bring it to market by 2025. At the Suzuki Group, addressing global warming is a priority,” SMC Representative Director and President Toshihiro Suzuki said here at the expo while unveiling the product. On the other hand, Hyundai Motor India launched its all-electric model Ioniq 5 at an introductory price of Rs 44.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 customers in the presence of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan. The model is based on the company’s dedicated battery electric vehicle platform E-GMP.

Electric vehicles steal the limelight on first day of Auto Expo 2023
Image credits- The Plunge Daily

EV manufacturing

Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Unsoo Kim said, “Ioniq 5 represents our shift towards future mobility with tenets that encapsulate intelligent technology, innovation, and sustainability.”Hyundai already sells one EV model, Kona Electric, in the country.

Another carmaker Kia India, which unveiled an all-electric SUV Concept Kia Concept EV9, said it plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore over the next four years to scale up its presence in the electric vehicle segment. Kia India Vice-President and Head – of Sales & Marketing – Hardeep Singh Brar said the company’s Andhra Pradesh-based manufacturing plant is ready to roll out EVs.

“This Rs 2,000 crore we are talking about will go into R&D, manufacturing, and infrastructure development,” he told PTI on the sidelines of the expo. Keeping with the trend of electric and sustainable mobility, Tata Motors showcased over 20 products across its passenger and commercial vehicles portfolio. The highlight of the company’s showcase is the electric SUV Sierra, which is likely to hit the market in 2025, and the EV version of its mid-sized SUV Harrier that’s likely to be commercially launched next year. “We believe that the transition to electric mobility in India will happen much faster than what we are imagining,” Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said.

 

 

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