Auto Expo 2018: Hyundai says will launch electric vehicle '1 year ahead of Maruti'

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the number two passenger vehicle company in India, has said it is aligned to the government's philosophy of all-electric vehicles in the country and claimed it will launch its first commercial all-electric vehicle a year before Maruti.

"At Hyundai, we are very very conscious about our responsibility towards the country. That's why we have unveiled our first mass-produced electric vehicle, the Ioniq, at the Auto Expo today. We are ready for the technology, Ioniq is being sold in various countries. We are very sure that when the government's framework is ready, we will be the first company to launch the mass-produced electric vehicles in India," Puneet Anand, Marketing GM, Hyundai India, told WION.

"We will be one year ahead of Maruti. We have already announced that by 2019, Hyundai will be launching an electric vehicle in India," he added.

Anand, however, said the onus is now on the government to expedite the process of going fully electric by 2030.

"It's a very ambitious target, and we thank the government for taking this initiative. But at the same time, we have to look at the infrastructure and challenges, because it's a very big country. Looking at all these factors, I think the adoption of electric vehicles will be slow, but we will always be ready for that," Anand said.

The South Korean automaker today launched a new version of its premium compact hatchback Elite i20 priced between Rs 5.34 lakh and Rs 9.15 lakh.

The company has already announced its plans to invest over US $1 billion (around Rs 6,300 crore) in India in the next three years on new products, development of powertrain and setting up of a new office building.

The company plans to launch an electric vehicle next year and is also gearing up for the possible comeback of its popular model Santro around Diwali this year.

HMIL has lined up nine products to be introduced between 2018 and 2020.

The company, which is completing 20 years in the Indian market, sold 6.78 lakh units last year in the country with a market share of around 16.5 per cent in the passenger vehicle segment.

(Reported by: Jhalak Nagpal, WION)