Maruti Suzuki Launches e Vitara With EV Charging Roadmap
Maruti Suzuki has finally shown its first proper electric SUV, the e Vitara, after years of saying it would enter the EV space when it felt ready. The company says sales should start early next year, and bookings will be taken from January 2026. It is not just the car that the company wanted to talk about. A large part of the launch focused on the support system around it, which they have been building quietly for some time.
But the question is, how is Maruti planning to tackle range anxiety?
What About Charging Network Concerns?
At the event, Managing Director Hisashi Takeuchi mentioned that the company has been approaching EVs with two things in mind. One is the driving range. The other is making sure people are not constantly worried about where to charge.
As of now, Maruti has put up more than 2,000 chargers across 1,100 cities. Some of these are in big cities, sure, but quite a few are in smaller areas that connect highways or popular long-distance routes. The company has partnered with 13 charge point operators, so the network grows even where Maruti might not have many dealers.
They also announced a single digital interface called One India, One EV Charging, which ties home charging and public charging together and allows payments through one platform. The company said it has invested ₹250 crore on this side of the project so far.
For the long run, the target is over 1 lakh charging points by 2030, along with 1,500 EV workshops and a trained group of 1.5 lakh technicians. It feels like the car and the ecosystem are meant to grow in parallel rather than one after the other.
What do we Know About the e Vitara
The SUV will be sold in Delta, Zeta and Alpha trims. There are two battery options, a 49-kWh unit and a 61 kWh one. The larger battery comes with the higher variants.
The e Vitara has an ARAI certified range of 543 km. To show this off, Maruti sent out four cars from Gurugram on different long routes, heading in four directions. These cars went through all sorts of conditions, and the idea was to display both the actual usage range and the charging coverage on the ground.
Maruti will also offer Battery as a Service, a subscription plan, plus an assured buyback. These choices are meant to make the car less intimidating for first time EV buyers.
What are the Safety Features
The company says the SUV uses over 60% ultra-high tensile and high tensile steel. There is also a battery protection layout that absorbs impact. Some key highlights include:
- Level 2 ADAS functions
- Emergency braking and forward collision alerts
- Multiple lane support features
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Adaptive high beam
- Blind spot and rear cross traffic alerts
In addition, the car gets 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Program, all wheel disc brakes, parking sensors, 360-degree camera, ISOFIX, tyre pressure monitoring and an SOS based emergency call.
A Late Entry, But a Big One
Maruti is the last major brand to bring an electric model to showrooms. Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai, JSW MG and BYD already have EVs on sale. Tata continues to lead by a comfortable margin.
In its annual report, Maruti mentioned that it is aiming for 15% of its total sales to come from EVs by FY31. The interesting bit is that the company has already exported 10,000 EVs to more than 100 countries. The Indian launch simply took longer, partly because the company kept pointing to missing infrastructure. With CAFE III norms set for April 2027, the push for cleaner fleets also becomes more immediate.
What Will Investors Be Looking At
Maruti Suzuki ended the session on 2 December at ₹16,239. With the launch now official and the charging roadmap laid out, the stock is likely to stay active while the market waits for more clarity on pricing and deliveries.
For now, the company has not announced the price of the e Vitara. Details will come closer to the booking window in January 2026.
Sources
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