In a recent update, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India is in the process of developing an affordable EV which is mainly focused for the domestic market.
Volkswagen Entry Level EV Confirmed
Moving ahead, the car manufacturer is planning to further export it to the global markets once it is launched in the second half of this decade.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Piyush Arora gave this information during the sidelines of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 in New Delhi.
Further, he said, “the electrification strategy won’t drastically vary compared to the strategy followed for IC-engined cars and the forthcoming entry-level volume focussed zero-emission vehicle will be heavily localized.”
Need Of Huge Investment
It is noteworthy here that a huge investment is required to achieve this goal.
Considering the same, the brand seems to be seriously evaluating the opportunities presented.
It is anticipated that the investment will be in triple-digit million euros as Mr Arora emphasizes.
It also indicates the importance of the Indian market for the brand’s global volumes along with exports.
At present, the feasibility study for such a product is underway.
Volkswagen’s Peak EV project will spawn an electrified SUV in India by 2026, as per the media report.
The SUV will be developed on the MEB21G platform while having high local content.
For this lineup, the key area of focus will be the entry-level and mid-size categories.
When it comes to the launch date, the e-SUV will be introduced by Volkswagen first before the arrival of its Skoda derivative.
In terms of volumes, it will have an estimated volume target of 50,000 for local and international markets.
The Czech automaker seems to be mulling over localizing the MQB A0 37 architecture as it wants to boost the premium offerings, packed with high-end technologies for India.
Besides these, there is a compact SUV underpinned by the MQB A0 IN platform found in the Kushaq and Slavia, is in the pipeline.
Coming to production, a total of 16 lakh units were produced and 6 lakhs were shipped to the global arena last year.
In the meantime the brand is seeking ways to begin the exports of Slavia and Kushaq to Vietnam and more markets are also being studied for selling made-in-India products, Arora stated.
Considering these developments, both Volkswagen and Skoda are anticipated to play a vital role in the transition towards electrification as their respective first EVs for India will be launched this year.
