2024 is touted to be the biggest year for EVs when it comes to the expansion of EV segments ever since electric vehicles went mainstream in India. It’s a segment worth keeping an eye out for because we have a slew of launches and unveils over the course of 2024. Here we are tapping on each and every manufacture that has an EV lined up for either a launch or an unveiling.
The eVX is Maruti’s first BEV and its important new model in terms of future growth. The car has been showcased in two rounds. At the 2023 Auto Expo, we got our first glimpse in concept guise while at the 2023 Japanese Mobility show, Suzuki showed us the second evolution and more importantly the interiors. The spy shots point at an SUV design while the cabin is indicative of what to expect in future Maruti models like the steering wheel design and haptic controls for the windows and mirrors. The automaker has already said that the car will have a range of around 500 to 600km and optional AWD.
Urban SUV
From the Maruti eVX, we come to its sister car - the Toyota Urban SUV which is essentially, the eVX with a Toyota top hat. It has the same dimensions as the eVX and will sport similar interiors in terms of elements and layout. It’s also expected to get the same powertrain and will thus have a range of around 500km to 600km and optional AWD depending on the variant. Suzuki’s Gujarat plant is being groomed to become the electric home for the Japanese automaker’s alliance and is thus expected to produce both the eVX and Urban SUV for India and the global markets.
Skoda-VW
Enyaq and ID4
Skoda and VW will start their electric innings in India with the Enyaq and ID4 GTX respectively. Both are electric SUVs and will offer a range of around 500 to 550km with optional AWD. The feature list will include the likes of dual digital displays, level-2 ADAS, 360-degree camera, powered front seats and a sub 10 second 0-100kmph time. Both will be CBUs but it is likely that with so much government support expected for EVs and anticipating high demand in the future, we may just see local assembly for both vehicles at the alliance’s Aurangabad plant. This plant is expected to convert to be MEB compatible for the assembly of future VW/Skoda/Audi models.
The BYD Seal was showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo and was set for a mid-2023 launch but did not surface ultimately. However, we believe that it will finally be launched in 2024 and will be the third private market BYD car for India. Globally, the BYD Seal is offered in two battery pack options, including a 61.4kWh unit offering a 550km range and an 82.5kWh pack with a claimed range of 700km. The electric sedan can sprint from zero to 100kmph in just 3.8 seconds. However, it most major USP will be its fastback body style and quirky cabin quite similar to what we have seen on the Atto 3.
So these are some of the EVs that are looking forward to seeing on Indian roads. Of course, the full list of EVs for 2024 is much longer and we will cover the rest of the models in the second part of this story. In fact, we will be covering EVs from Mahindra, Tata, Hyundai-Kia and RenaultNissan so stay tuned!
