Growth comes with its own pressure, and Maruti Suzuki is experiencing it right now. With the demand increasing across petrol cars, fast growing exports and its first electric models hitting the market, the company needs more room to build vehicles without delaying deliveries. To deal with this, Maruti is preparing to start a new electric vehicle production line at its Gujarat factory by July. This new line will also help support rising EV demand from both domestic and export markets.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd will commission what it internally calls the Production D line at its Hansalpur plant. This new line will be utilized for electric vehicles only. Once operational, it will add a capacity of 2.5 lakh vehicles a year and increase the total output from 7.5 lakh units of the plant to 10 lakh units annually.
Why this new line matters
Right now, Maruti manufactures EVs and petrol cars on the same line in the Gujarat facility. Models such as the Fronx are sharing space with electric vehicles such as the eVitara. This has brought pressure on production schedules, especially as demand continues to rise.
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) at Maruti Suzuki, has confirmed that the common setup is one of the reasons why waiting periods are stretched. The new EV-only line is expected to relieve this load after July.
What will be built here
The new production line will produce
- Maruti eVitara
- Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella
- Electric models to be offered in future by the Maruti Toyota partnership
By separating EVs from petrol cars, Maruti can also create space for its high-demand ICE models.
Demand is already high
Maruti witnessed its highest ever monthly wholesales in January with over 2.36 lakh units dispatched.
Domestic sales crossed 1.78 lakhs units.
Exports increased strongly to over 51,000 units.
Bookings are also increasing rapidly. January bookings were nearly 25 percent higher than a year ago. Pending orders stand at around 1.75 lakh units, well above normal levels. Dealer stock in transit is limited to around 6 to 7 days, showing demand is still strong.
What comes next
Along with this EV line, Maruti is also developing its second Gujarat plant at Khoraj which will add another 10 lakh units of annual capacity in the future.
For buyers, this expansion should mean shorter waiting periods. For Maruti, it is a significant step in balancing petrol car, exports and its growing electric plans under one roof.