Suzuki has begun dispatching its first battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara, from India, alongside batteries for full hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
A ceremony marking the milestone took place on Aug 26 at Suzuki’s Gujarat plant, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Japan’s ambassador Keiichi Ono and Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki.
About 600 government and company representatives were present.
Toshihiro Suzuki said the occasion marked two landmark projects for the company.
The e Vitara will be manufactured at the Gujarat facility and exported to over 100 countries and regions worldwide, including Europe and Japan. The lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid models are made at TDS Lithium-Ion Battery Gujarat Private Limited (TDSG).
Produced by Maruti Suzuki India at the Gujarat plant, the e Vitara is being shipped through Pipavav port to global markets.
Branded as an “Emotional Versatile Cruiser,” it features a newly developed BEV platform called HEARTECT-e, an ALLGRIP-e electric four-wheel-drive system, and a design intended to balance advanced technology with strength.
The powertrain promises agility, while the 4WD system delivers both off-road ability and high performance.
Separately, TDSG, a joint venture between Suzuki, Toshiba and Denso, has started producing hybrid batteries.
The batteries are already fitted in the Grand Vitara and will be rolled out to other models. Established in 2017, TDSG became India’s first facility to produce lithium-ion batteries from the cell level. It began with mild hybrid batteries in 2021 and has since supplied units for more than one million vehicles.
