Competition Heats Up in India’s Mass Market EV Space

French carmaker Groupe PSA (Citroen India) is expected to enter the Indian electric mobility space with a small electric SUV codenamed eCC21. The electric SUV to be launched in 2022, will likely be priced around INR 8 lakhs, and will be manufactured at the company’s Thiruvallur facility in Tamil Nadu. Mahindra’s E-KUV-100, Tata Motors’ HBX small SUV, and Renault’s Kwid EV will be its main competitors. Ahead of the eCC21, in 2021, the company will also launch the C5 Aircross – a top of the line premium mid-size SUV – and a small flexi-fuel SUV which can run on a 1.2 litre petrol engine with ethanol blend.

Charging Kiosks at 69,000 Petrol Pumps in India

In a bid to boost the EV ecosystem in India, the government is planning to set up at least one EV charging kiosk at each of the 69,000 petrol pumps in India. This coupled with measures such as reducing EV GST to 5 per cent, delinking battery cost of 2-3 wheelers from vehicles etc. is expected to accelerate the uptake of EVs in the country. Moreover, the government has also earmarked INR 51,000 crores under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme to help the Indian automobile sector become a global manufacturing hub and help create jobs.