Gujarat set to be India’s first EV hub
AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: Gujarat was late when it came to assuming the mantle of India’s Detroit. But that race was for vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. With policy focus shifting in favour of greener technologies and carmakers being forced to adopt electric and hybrid technologies, Gujarat now leads the race for the manufacture of such vehicles.
Suzuki Motor Corp.’s recent announcement in this space has just been followed by JSW Group, which has signed an agreement with the Gujarat government to promote production of battery-operated vehicles in the state along with the production of electrical batteries, storage solutions and charging infrastructure.
According to a state government release, the company will invest ₹4,000 crore in the venture. According to two officials close to the development, JSW wants to build two lakh vehicles annually and has finalised a location—around 500 acres— near Suzuki’s manufacturing facility in Hansalpur. JSW Energy’s car factory is expected to start commercial production in financial year 2021.
“The car will have high power, fast pick-up and will have ultra-fast charging due to which the time for battery recharge will be similar to filling petrol/diesel in regular cars. The running cost of the electric car will be less than ₹1/ kilometre,” said a state government official familiar with the company’s plans.
JSW did not respond to an email seeking a response.
The Gujarat government recently signed an agreement with a Chinese manufacturer for setting up a factory for rolling out electric bikes.
“The proposed factory will come up near Rajkot and will have a capacity to roll out 50,000 electric bikes annually,” said the state government official cited above, refusing to name the company. An announcement in this regard is expected soon. Apart from JSW and Suzuki, MG Motors India Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd are also looking to produce electric vehicles from their factories in Gujarat.
MG Motors India, a subsidiary of China’s largest auto maker SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd, is considering launching electric and hybrid cars in India. The firm has recently taken over General Motors India’s manufacturing unit in Halol, Gujarat, from where it looks to launch its iconic MG (Morris Garages) brand of vehicles by 2019, starting with a sports utility vehicle (SUV).
“Apart from SUVs and sedans, our product portfolio includes electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. All this could be considered for Indian markets where we aim to roll out environment-friendly vehicles,” P Balendran, executive director at MG Motor India told Mint in a July interaction.
Tata Motors is looking to revamp sales of its Nano by introducing an electric version of the car from its factory in Sanand, Gujarat, Bloomberg reported. A Tata spokesperson declined to comment.