- Sales of strong hybrids are expected to increase
- Buyers have no hesitation in adopting robust hybrids
Maruti Suzuki is planning to bring strong-hybrid technology in several models including new cars for the Indian market. Apart from ICE and CNG, the carmaker is working on various technologies like EV, flex-fuel, bio-gas and hybrid. These will co-exist in the future, but the carmaker expects the stronger hybrid to also do well on the sales front.
Maruti Suzuki Hybrid Cars
The carmaker has already achieved several milestones in terms of sales of hybrid vehicles, including both mild and strong hybrids. Mild-hybrid cars in Maruti’s fleet include the Forex, Ciaz, Brezza, Ertiga, XL6 and Grand Vitara. On the other hand, stronger hybrids include the higher-spec trims of the Grand Vitara and Invicto. In our brief conversation with Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, he mentioned that strong hybrids will account for 25 percent of total sales by 2030. Now, this contribution will not be from the Grand Vitara and only the Invicto, but necessarily from more models.
Adoption of hybrid technology stronger than EV
The pace of EV adoption has slowed down due to various challenges. These include significantly higher prices than ICE cars, lack of abundant charging points and longer charging times. However, this is not the case with a strong hybrid as it combines the benefits of an electric motor and a gasoline engine. The self-charging mechanism in a powerful hybrid provides better mileage and lower CO2 emissions. Notably, it also handles range anxiety issues as there is no need to charge the car separately like an EV.
Strong-Hybrid vs Mild-Hybrid vs ICE Maruti Suzuki Cars
Maruti Suzuki already offers mild-hybrid technology in various models across its portfolio. However, the benefits of this mild-hybrid system pale in comparison to the stronger hybrid’s larger battery and significant bump in fuel economy compared to its older ICE counterpart. Carmaker figures show that depending on driving conditions, strong hybrids operate on battery or EV mode for about 60 percent of urban use, including convenient charging through regenerative braking. As a result, mileage can be up to 44 percent higher than the corresponding ICE model. Furthermore, they reduce CO2 levels by up to 30 percent compared to a corresponding ICE car.