By Shailesh Yadav

Gurugram (Haryana) [India], December 15 (ANI): Maruti Suzuki has assured customers that the pricing of its much-anticipated e Vitara electric vehicle will be worth the wait, according to Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer at the company.

'Pricing of e-Vitara will not disappoint the customers. It will be worth the wait,' Banerjee told ANI in an exclusive interview. The senior executive, who has played a key role in developing the market leader's first electric car, emphasised the company's commitment to customer satisfaction.

In a first-of-its-kind strategy for the Indian car market, Maruti Suzuki will allow customers to test drive the e-Vitara before opening bookings. 'Very soon, we are going to start the test drive campaigns from the beginning of next month. We feel that letting customers take the test drive and experience the product before booking makes much better sense,' Banerjee explained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in August, flagged off the first batch of the e Vitara at Maruti Suzuki's Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. The made-in-India electric vehicle will be exported to over 100 countries, including markets in Europe and Japan.

Banerjee revealed that the e-Vitara is performing well in the United Kingdom market, with its launch in Japan expected soon. The vehicle offers an ARAI-claimed range of approximately 543 kilometres on a full charge, with battery options of 49 kWh and 61 kWh.

To demonstrate the vehicle's capabilities and India's EV ecosystem readiness, Maruti Suzuki flagged off four cars to the four corners of India--Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Bhuj to Kaziranga. 'Happy to share that they have completed 20,000 kilometers in 11 days, and the experience has been fantastic,' Banerjee said. The teams are scheduled to share their experiences this evening, once all four vehicles have completed their journeys.

Highlighting the vehicle's unique selling points, Banerjee emphasised that the e-Vitara is built on a dedicated EV platform. 'The benefit of the born EV platform is you get a longer wheelbase, which helps you get more cabin space and the most space inside for daily usage for customers,' he explained.

The vehicle features all the digital amenities today's generation expects and has earned a five-star safety rating. 'Very plush interiors, panoramic sunroof--it's a head turner,' Banerjee added.

Maruti Suzuki aims to enable over one lakh public charging points by 2030. The company is collaborating with 13 different Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to expand the network nationwide. More than 2,000 exclusive Maruti Suzuki charging points have already been established across its dealer network in over 1,100 cities.

Charging points are being positioned approximately every 5-10 kilometres in key locations across India's top 100 cities, with DC fast chargers also deployed along major highways. The company has launched the 'e for me' app, allowing users to locate and access both partner-operated and Maruti Suzuki charging stations, manage home charging, and make payments.

Maruti Suzuki has invested approximately Rs 250 crore in charging infrastructure development and the 'e for me' app, signalling its serious commitment to electric mobility in India. (ANI)