Skoda Auto Volkswagen India is evaluating a small electric vehicle for the fast growing Indian market. The report claims that the company is planning to set up an EV manufacturing facility in the country sometime after 2025. Speaking to media, Thomas Schaefer, CEO of Skoda Auto said that he is encouraged by the development in India on the EV front.
Schaefer said that India could serve as a manufacturing hub for affordable electric vehicles in the future. He further said that a small EV based on a Volkswagen platform could be launched in the Indian market. The company will play a significant role in the second half of this decade to offer affordable EVs for India as well as other growing markets.
“There are many regions of the world, who need more affordable entry EVs. At the moment, as a company, we can see this plan through. India is not going to lag behind. You can see the movement in the market, there is a strong signal. I like it.” – He added.
Schaefer believes that Skoda would require a new factory to be able to produce affordable EVs. The company is currently doing a pilot study on Enyaq premium EV in India. It also has plans to add three more EVs in the coming few years. Skoda Auto expects India to play a significant role in the VW Group’s future – not only in EVs but also in conventional petrol run vehicles for the next 10-15 years.
Skoda Auto Volkswagen will also produce a new sub-4 meter SUV for the Indian market. The new model will be introduced under the VW Group’s 2.5 Plan. This model will cater not only to India but also other emerging markets.
Skoda has already received over 35,000 bookings for the new Kushaq SUV and the Slavia mid-sized sedan in the country. The company will aim to further localise the MQB AO IN platform to achieve competitive pricing. Moreover, the platform will be tweaked to accommodate sub-4 meter models including a compact SUV.
Source – ET AUTO
