Maruti Suzuki has begun shipping the e Vitara, with the first batch of over 2,900 fully-electric SUVs headed to Europe. This comes barely a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the company’s new electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing facility at Hansalpur in Gujarat. PM Modi also flagged off the first unit of the e Vitara that rolled out from the new assembly line.
With this, the e Vitara has become the first made-in-India EV to be exported to overseas markets. Over 2,900 units of e Vitara have been shipped from Pipavav Port in Gujarat to 12 European countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Iceland, Austria, and Belgium.
Maruti Suzuki e Vitara: Specs & Features
As previously confirmed, the e Vitara will be based on a born electric skateboard platform that is being called Heartect-e. It will be offered in three variants — Delta, Zeta, and Alpha — with two battery options: 61.1 kWh and 48.8 kWh. Both pair with a single electric motor, delivering a claimed range of up to 500 km on a full charge. With DC fast charging, the battery can be charged from 0 to 80 percent in just 50 minutes.
Upon launch, the e Vitara is set to be Maruti’s most feature-rich model yet. Highlights include LED projector headlamps, three-point LED DRLs and tail lamps, an electric sunroof, ADAS suite, 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, wireless charger, multiple drive modes, seven airbags, automatic climate control, dual 10-inch displays, 18-inch alloy wheels, and fog lamps.
Maruti Suzuki e Vitara: Expected India launch & price
Initially set to launch in September this year, Maruti Suzuki is taking a cautious approach to launch its first EV in India given recent challenges like the semiconductor crisis still looming large. We expect the e Vitara to hit the roads in India sometime towards the end of this year. When launched, the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara will compete against the likes of Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta Electric, Tata Curvv EV, and MG ZS EV. Hence, expect prices to start around Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom).
