Maruti Suzuki's Views on India's EV Adoption Obstacles

Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to introduce its first battery-electric vehicle, the eVitara, in the Indian market, where EV adoption is still at an early stage. While interest in electric mobility is steadily increasing, the automaker believes progress continues to be constrained by three key factors: real-world driving range, charging infrastructure and uncertainty over resale value.

Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer for marketing and sales at Maruti Suzuki, said early EV experiences in India have dented consumer confidence. According to him, a major concern is the gap between claimed and actual driving range. “When the promised range is not delivered, it creates serious issues for consumers, especially when planning travel. Many customers feel the real-world range does not match what is announced,” Banerjee said.

Maruti Suzuki says the eVitara has been engineered to address these concerns. Offered with 49 kWh and 61 kWh battery options and an ARAI-certified range of up to 543 km, the company claims the vehicle can deliver more than 500 km on a single charge under real-world driving conditions. Banerjee noted that the focus has been on demonstrating usable range rather than optimistic figures, adding that the vehicle has been extensively driven by independent users, not just evaluated internally.

Charging infrastructure

Limited charging infrastructure remains another major hurdle to faster EV adoption in India. Although most leading automakers have introduced fully electric models, the availability of public charging continues to lag. India currently has fewer than 30,000 public charging stations, a figure widely regarded as insufficient for large-scale EV penetration.

Banerjee said this shortage has led many EV buyers to treat electric cars as secondary vehicles, due to a lack of confidence in charger availability for long or unplanned journeys. “Because public infrastructure is still inadequate, customers hesitate to take a risk. If they are buying their first vehicle, they tend to choose an ICE model. Even if they believe the vehicle is good, they won’t buy it if the ecosystem is not in place,” he said.

To address this, Maruti Suzuki is investing ahead of demand. The company has partnered with 13 charge-point operators and has already installed around 2,000 dedicated charging points across more than 1,100 cities. It plans to expand this network to over 100,000 charging points by the end of the decade, with a strong emphasis on highways and expressways. In major corridors across the top 100 cities, the company aims for an average spacing of one charger every 5–10 km.

Maruti Suzuki has also integrated multiple charging networks into a single digital platform, enabling users to locate, access and pay for charging services through one app.

Both the government and the automotive industry continue to push for a higher charger-to-vehicle ratio, viewing it as critical to reducing range anxiety and accelerating EV adoption. Other automakers, including Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Hyundai, are also expanding their charging infrastructure to build consumer confidence.

Resale value and after-sales support

Concerns around resale value and after-sales support represent the third major barrier. Unlike internal combustion engine vehicles, which have relatively predictable resale values, EV buyers remain uncertain about long-term value, largely due to worries over battery degradation. With the battery accounting for around 40% of an EV’s cost, Banerjee said this uncertainty has made many customers cautious.

While EVs generally require less routine servicing than ICE vehicles, Banerjee stressed the importance of well-equipped workshop networks that can quickly resolve any technical issues. Reliable access to specialised EV service facilities, he said, is essential to building long-term trust.

To mitigate these concerns, Maruti Suzuki plans to introduce an assured buyback programme for its electric vehicles, aimed at easing fears around resale value. The company has also prepared around 1,500 EV-enabled workshops across more than 1,100 cities, covering not only major urban centres but also surrounding regions within a 250 km radius. This service network will continue to expand as EV volumes grow.

Production of the eVitara began in August at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant. The model is currently being sold in the UK and is scheduled for export to Japan in January. While the company has not announced a firm timeline for the Indian launch, Banerjee said some units will be dispatched to dealerships in December, allowing customers to experience the vehicle through test drives.

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