India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has confirmed that it will introduce the first electric vehicle by 2025. Its parent firm, Suzuki Motor Corporation, will invest Rs 10,400 crore in Gujarat to build a manufacturing plant to produce the EV. Meanwhile, the automaker recently unveiled its first-ever strong-hybrid car, the Grand Vitara, in the country.

In order to curb carbon emissions, every automobile manufacturer around the world is switching to sustainable mobility. And electric cars have become the most important and common part of this transition to green mobility. Maruti Suzuki India is no exception and has announced its first battery-powered electric vehicle for the Indian market. Not only will it manufacture this EV in the country but also produce the lithium-ion battery, which most carmakers currently import from other countries.

Apart from the announcement of its first EV, Maruti has not revealed the body style, battery pack size, or even the travel range of the EV yet. However, the first Maruti Suzuki electric vehicle is expected to be an SUV, most probably a sub-compact or compact. Upon launch, the new electric vehicle will compete against numerous electric vehicles, such as the current best-selling Tata Nexon EV and MG ZS EV.

In other news, the brand showcased the Futuro-E concept electric vehicle at the 2020 Auto Expo. It was an electric compact-SUV concept with a coupé-like roofline, chunky wheel-arches cladding, and a radical design language. Maruti’s upcoming EV could be inspired by this Futuro-E concept.