In this screengrab from a video released on August 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off Maruti Suzuki's first electric vehicle e-Vitara from Hansalpur manufacturing facility, Gujarat. (@Narendra Modi/YT via PTI Photo)
Made-in-India e-Vitara: PM Modi flags off Maruti's first electric vehicle
PM Narendra Modi also inaugurated the lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility by Suzuki, Toshiba, and Denso, supporting hybrid and electric vehicle battery production
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (August 26) flagged off the e-Vitara at the Suzuki Motor Plant in Hansalpur, Gujarat. e-Vitara is Suzuki's first Global Strategic Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).
The made-in-India Maruti e-Vitara will be exported to more than 100 countries, including Japan.
Modi also inaugurated the lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility by Suzuki, Toshiba, and Denso, supporting hybrid and electric vehicle battery production.
Modi was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Japan’s ambassador to India Keiichi Ono.
Earlier, Modi took to X to post about the event and called today “a special day in India’s quest for self-reliance and being a hub for green mobility."
“In a big boost to our battery ecosystem, production of hybrid battery electrodes will also commence at a plant in Gujarat,” he said.
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Features, specifications and expected price range
The e-Vitara was first introduced globally in Europe late last year. e-Vitara was showcased at Bharat Mobility Show 2025 in India. It is designed in collaboration with Toyota. It will produce its version called Urban Cruiser EV.
This BEV is constructed on a 40PL dedicated EV platform and will offer two battery options, 49kWh and 61kWh, respectively, with a larger battery available in a dual-motor AWD (AllGrip-e) configuration. More specifications, including features and variants, and the launch timeline will be announced soon in India.
The starting price of BEV is expected to be approximately Rs 20 lakh, ex-showroom. In the market, this EV will compete against the Mahindra BE6, the Hyundai Creta Electric, the MG ZS EV, and others.
The manufacturing plant of hybrid battery electrodes and Li-ion battery cells is to be inaugurated at the TDS Li-Ion Battery Gujarat (TDSG) facility in Hansalpur. This venture is a collaboration among Toshiba, Denso, and Suzuki.