The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is mulling India's first small hybrid car that would have both electric and petrol options. The proposed small car is being co-developed with engineers from Suzuki Japan, Reports CNBC-TV 18’s Ronojoy Banerjee.
Two very senior officers in the company confirmed the development. They said that the project is still at a very nascent stage. Hence they were not able to give a precise timeline. However, they said that the company was seriously gauging the viability of introducing such a vehicle for the Indian markets.
This is an interesting development because traditionally Maruti is not seen too enthused about the whole concept of electric vehicles. They have taken a stand that India is a path starved country and electric vehicles will only add to it. So, while their stand on this issue may not have changed, they feel that hybrid vehicles which will have both fuel as well as electric options are the way forward.
Now, the big challenge will be how one will offer hybrid technology at a lower cost. We have seen cars like Toyota’s Prius which is well above Rs 10 lakh, which is what Maruti wants to change. It is being developed along with engineers from Suzuki. However, the company is officially maintaining, that they do not comment on future products.
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