Not Just Cars, Suzuki To Bring in Electric Bikes

Suzuki Motorcycle India, the local two-wheeler subsidiary of Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp, is planning to bring in electric two-wheelers to the Indian market by 2020, reported Economic Times. 

The time-frame coincides with the plans of Suzuki’s Indian car- maker unit, Maruti Suzuki, to launch an electric car in India.

It was a meeting between Suzuki chairman Osamu Suzuki and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 that triggered the plans for Suzuki to invest locally for electric vehicles. Suzuki, along with Denso and Toshiba, has committed to investing Rs 1,700 crore in setting up a battery-making facility in Gujarat. 

Suzuki Motorcycle India has requested the headquarters in Japan for an electric scooter as well as an electric motorcycle for the local market. Suzuki has set up a project team of five people and engaged KPMG to help devise electric vehicle solutions. While the immediate priority is scooters, Suzuki plans to launch electric motorcycles as well. 

Suzuki Motorcycle managing director Satoshi Uchida told ET that his company wanted to support the government’s vision of electrifying vehicles on the Indian roads and the parent company’s investment in the battery factory would be of great help in this direction.