Inside the e-Vitara's Passage to India

It's made in India, but Suzuki chose to launch its first electric vehicle in Europe. Here's why.

- Shobha Mathur

November 4, 2024 marked a seismic shift for Suzuki Motor Corporation. That was the day the curtains went up on its first electric vehicle (EV), the e-Vitara. The unveiling, however, did not take place in India—that honor went to Milan, Italy.

Suzuki had a good reason to display its first mass-production battery electric vehicle (BEV) in Europe. According to people in the know, the company views the e-Vitara as an excellent export prospect, particularly in markets with a more evolved EV ecosystem and charging infrastructure.

And so, the carmaker is believed to be looking at commencing shipments of the electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) to Europe first. This will be followed by launches in Japan and India during the course of this year.

In all, there are about 100 countries on the company's export radar. Almost 50% of the BEV production is expected to go for the export markets after specific customizations for each region. Best of all, as far as India is concerned, the SUV will be made by Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG). The cost-efficient production capabilities in India will help Suzuki price the e-Vitara competitively in overseas markets.

"We have chosen India as the global manufacturing base due to its quality products, and scale merit," said Toshihiro Suzuki, representative director and president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, while speaking at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 in January.

The Japanese company has invested about ₹2,100 crore to produce the e-Vitara in Gujarat. SMG has been operational since 2017 and has an annual production capacity of 0.75 million units. With the completion of a fourth production line in 2026-27, its annual production capacity will increase to 1 million units. Production of the e-Vitara will commence shortly, according to the company's management.

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