Maruti plans to install the lithium-ion batteries only in the Swift and other premium cars.
Maruti Suzuki have decided to install their premium segment cars like the Swift and others with lithium-ion batteries instead of the lead ones currently in use. The batteries will be produced at Maruti’s upcoming Gujarat plant.
Maruti has already joined hands with Toshiba and Denso Corporations to setup the battery plant in Gujarat. The lithium-ion batteries produced here will not only be used in the current cars but also in Maruti’s future electric cars. This also makes Maruti the first company to fit conventional vehicles with lithium-ion batteries in India.
This decision from Maruti also coincides with the Department of Heavy Industries’s decision to withdraw subsidies given to vehicles fitted with lead batteries. Concerns have also been raised regarding the environmental effects of the lead batteries. Together, this makes the shift to the lithium-ion batteries all the more obvious.
Presently, a lead battery is cheaper as it costs between Rs. 10,000-12,000/- but lasts for one operational year. Though the lithium-ion batteries are a little more expensive at Rs. 16,000-17,000/-, their life-span is five times that of the lead batteries making it a more tangible choice.
Maruti says that their Gujarat battery plant will be profitable through the concept of economies of scale. In layman’s terms, it basically means that the more you sell, the lesser the cost, making the setup profitable. The Maruti lithium-ion batteries can also be supplied to other manufacturers like Toyota, Tata and Mahindra who have huge plans for the Indian electric car market. Looking at this, the economies of scale clearly seems very workable.
Most of the electric vehicles that are sold in India today come with batteries imported from China. With India on its way to go completely electric by the year 2030, Maruti has the ability to become the biggest supplier of lithium-ion battery in India.
Maruti Lithium-Ion Batteries
– Maruti’s premium segment cars only will come with the lithium-ion batteries
– They will be produced in Maruti’s upcoming Gujarat plant
– Maruti is set to become a major supplier of these batteries
– Toyota might also be a customer for the Maruti Lithium-Ion Batteries
