Maruti Suzuki WagonR Electric Variant To Launch by 2020, Says Company MD

The upcoming months will market the implementation of the crash test norms under BNVSAP and the next year will see the implementation of strict BS-Vi emission norms as the country will move directly from BS-IV emission norms to BS-VI emission norms and skipping the BS-V emission norms in the process. With the onset of strict emission norms seeing to the demise of small capacity diesel engines in the market, and the government pushing for electric cars in India, the upcoming years will see a shift in the auto industry as more and more makers will launch their electric models in the country.

India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is also working on an all-electric version of the tallboy hatchback WagonR. The upcoming car is in the testing phase as of now because the company will like to look at all possible angles before launching this car in the market. The company is predominantly undertaking feasibility tests for the upcoming electric version of Maruti Suzuki WagonR. The electric version of WagonR can be placed around the Rs. 12 lakh in the Indian market. This will mark a significant jump as even the top model of the WagonR in the market currently is priced at around Rs. 4-6 lakhs.

There are reports on the internet doing rounds that the car will be launched by 2020. The chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Private Limited recently spoke to a leading daily about the upcoming electric version of WagonR and stated,

“The WagonR Electric is being tested and will be ready next year but what the company can produce and sell will depend on the customer’s willingness to buy the vehicle given the limitations of cost and charging space. It is a mistake to think that businesses are driven by manufacturers—they are customer driven, the price of electrifying a small car can go far beyond the reach of the small car owner.”

Although the electric cars in India will receive a tax benefit from the government under the FAME-II scheme, they still may be out of reach of a number of customers in the market. The reason behind this could be that the new subsidy regime does not offer any incentive to the customers of electric cars. Therefore it is only natural that the company is conducting proper feasibility tests before launching the WagonR electric in the market. With Maruti Suzuki set to discontinue diesel engine cars in the market at least for the initial times next year, the company will have to focus on petrol, dual-fuel, as well as electric cars in the market in order to maintain its standing and sales figures in the market.