MG Motor India has announced the launch of its first electric SUV in India. The MG eZS SUV will be launched in December 2019 according to a release from the company. The MG eZS will follow the launch of the MG Hector in June this year.
The MG eZS will go head-to-head with Hyundai’s Kona electric SUV, which has also been spotted testing in India. The Hyundai Kona SUV is likely to also be launched in the second half of the year, and is being locally made at the company’s plant in Chennai.
The MG eZS has a range of 350 Km per charge, and is likely to come with a 52Kwh lithium-ion battery pack. It will have a modular structure, with the battery assembly fitted into the floor. More details on the India-spec vehicle are awaited.
The company is confident that electric vehicles will begin to pick up in India.
“While the petrol version of the MG ZS had already become a popular choice globally, we are confident that its zero-emissions electric equivalent will bring accessible electric motoring to the customers in India upon its launch by the end of this year.”Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India
However, the cost of electric vehicles is still quite high. The company is hoping that the government will subsidise electric vehicles with its FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme.
“We hope by the time we launch the vehicle; the government would have announced the much-needed subsidies and incentives for the EVs under the recently announced FAME II scheme.”Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India
Besides that, the country still does not have a charging infrastructure in place to handle electric vehicles. MG Motor has about 120 dealer touch points, which it hopes to use initially.
In terms of features, the MG eZS will also come with MG’s iSMART infotainment system, which will debut in India starting with the MG Hector SUV in June this year. While the MG Hector is likely to be priced at about Rs 25 lakh, there is no clarity on what price tag the MG eZS will carry.
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