Saar: The first India-made electric vehicle could launch by 2021.

 

Kia Motors India is grabbing the headlines for all the right reasons. Now though, it has played its trump card to attract all the eyeballs from the entire Indian automobile industry. The South Korean carmaker is considering to produce electric and hybrid vehicles at its plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. We could see the introduction of its first India-made EV (electric vehicle) by 2021. This was confirmed by Kook Hyun Shim, CEO and MD, Kia Motors India.

 

 

 

He further added:

We are also thinking of doing a pioneering effort, to position our brand as an eco-friendly car maker. We want to be the pioneers in this market. So, by 2021 we could take the initiative to launch a fully electric vehicle. We already sell electrified cars in Europe and US market. We have all the technologies ready. We are very flexible at the moment for India.

 

This development comes along the lines of what the company said about its electrification plans earlier this year. At the 2018 Auto Expo, president and CEO, Kia Motors Corporation, said that the company will introduce an India-exclusive compact electric vehicle between 2019 and 2021.

 

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Before getting into its electrification strategy, Kia Motors will launch three products in three years, confirmed Shim. The first of the lot will be a compact SUV which will be reminiscent of the SP Concept. It was showcased during the 2018 Auto Expo. Kia Motors India is currently running a unique customer engagement campaign wherein it has finalised four names for the production-spec SP Concept and is asking the people of India to vote for their favourite. As we report this, the name Tusker is in the lead, followed by Trazor at second, SP-Z at third and Trailster at fourth.

 

 

Shim also confirmed that Kia Motors India is currently conducting a market study to identify which of the 16 products from the company’s global portfolio can be launched in India after feasible localisation. Shim further added:

Kia is globally strong in recreational vehicles such as SUVs and MPVs. In India also, we see a lot of demand for these type of vehicles and our priority will be in that segment, although we also have hatchbacks and compact cars in our portfolio.

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Kia Motors India’s production facility is at 65 per cent completion at the moment, which is nearly 10 per cent ahead of original schedule, confirmed Shim. This additional time will help the company run a longer pilot production for its first product. That should help in fine-tuning the product well for the Indian market.

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Rachit Shad Trehan
A car nutter by heart. A hopeless engineer by education. Gunning for one goal - simplify cars.

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