Maruti Suzuki and Honda are focusing on hybrid cars for the Indian market and both the auto manufacturers are likely to start rolling out locally assembled environment-friendly models within next four years. Thanks to the local assembling, these models will be priced close to the diesel-powered cars. Both the electric motors and batteries will be locally assembled in the country to achieve competitive pricing.
Considering the fact that demands for diesel cars are decreasing in India and the upcoming stricter emission norm will make the diesel-powered cars much pricier compared to now, Maruti Suzuki and Honda are emphasizing on hybrid models. Government’s push for greener mobility is another reason for the automakers to focus on electrified models. These hybrid cars will play a crucial role to bridge the gap between IC engine powered models and zero emission fully electric models.
Being the biggest car brand in India, Maruti Suzuki has been aiming to take the pole position in the electrified car segment of the country. A hybrid fleet will help the brand to make way for that. Also, with the petrol-hybrid cars priced in the line of the diesel models will help the brand to strengthen its market share.
Suzuki has already partnered with Toyota to develop EV powertrain solutions for the global market. In India, Maruti Suzuki will benefit from this partnership. On the other hand, Honda plans to import the components initially, while it aims to increase the localization gradually. So far, with this strategy, both Maruti Suzuki and Honda will be able to grab a large chunk of the hybrid car market of India at the beginning of the next decade. However, both the brands are tight-lipped about the details of the models to get the hybrid powertrain technology.
Source: Autocar India