Rama Krishna Sangem
Electric vehicles (EVs) will be “ideal” to save energy but hybrid cars are the “best solution” until non-fossil fuel energy becomes fully widespread in a region, said Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), the majority shareholder in Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), on July 17 Wednesday.
EVs, hybrid cars and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles could each have an equal share of about 33 per cent in the Indian automobile market by 2035, it said in a presentation.
As India aims to be carbon neutral by 2070, automakers are divided over the best path ahead. Japanese giants like Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are pushing for tax cuts on hybrids, arguing EVs alone can’t carry the emissions reduction load. But homegrown players like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have opposed such tax cuts, insisting that only a full-throttle EV push can truly decarbonise India’s roads.
The divide within the auto industry recently came to the fore after a July 5 order of the Uttar Pradesh government to waive a registration tax of 8-10 per cent for strong hybrid vehicles.
Presently, non-oil energy not widespead
SMC said: “As non-fossil energy becomes more widespread, EV will be the ideal solution in terms of energy. We will bring EV to the market from next year and promote energy minimization in electrification as well…We develop lean-battery electric technologies with the aim of using the minimum and necessary batteries without excess. Until non-fossil energy becomes fully widespread, HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) is the best solution.”
The Japanese company said it aims to deliver the most “energy-efficient” EVs suited to the country, region and customer usage without “excessive battery capacity”. “India, actively introducing biofuels such as ethanol and CBG (compressed biogas), is expected to be 1/3 each for ICE with CNF (carbon neutral fuel), HEV (hybrid), and EV,” it said.
SMC said that it is crucial to develop advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) suited for the road and driving conditions of each country to support safe driving.
“In India, a key market for Suzuki, the unique traffic conditions and congestion, as shown in the photos, make it difficult to simply apply Japanese solutions. Leveraging Suzuki’s 40 years of experience in India, we plan to develop and offer ADAS that performs well even in the congested streets of Indian cities,” it added.
