EV a necessity for a country like India: Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) Automobile major Maruti Suzuki has said that electric vehicles (EV) are a necessity for India as it would reduce the country’s dependence on crude oil imports.

Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman R.C. Bhargava told BTVI in an interview that going forward the increase in the number of cars using fossil fuels will lead to an enormous rise in crude oil imports and dependence.

However, a shift towards EVs can reduce the crude oil dependence, as fossil fuels will be replaced with electricity that can be generated via solar or coal-fired power plants, Bhargava told BTVI on Thursday.

According to Bhargava, the company will conduct a survey to find out the requirements of potential EV customers.

The findings of the study will also give insights into the kind of government incentives that might be required to bring the cost of EVs down, he said.

The automobile major plans to launch its first EV by 2020.

The central government envisions 100 per cent EVs for public mobility and 40 per cent for personal mobility by 2030.