India's top car maker, Maruti Suzuki, launched its maiden electric vehicle in the local market on Tuesday, along with a battery rental plan.
The e Vitara SUV, developed under parent Suzuki Motor's global design and manufacturing partnership with Toyota is being built in India since August last year. The company exported 13,000 units to 28 countries in 2025.
Maruti has priced the SUV at 1.1 million rupees (around $12,100), accompanied by a battery rental plan that will cost 3.99 rupees per kilometre.
EV sales have gathered pace in the world's third-largest auto market after a wave of launches from Tata Motors, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tesla over the last year.
The greener vehicles are more expensive than their traditional counterparts, with recent tax cuts widening the gap.
EVs made up about 5% of India's car sales in 2025, doubling from a year earlier. The Asian country aims for electric vehicles to reach 30% of all car sales by 2030.
SAIC Motor's Indian venture, JSW MG Motor India, offers battery rentals to lower upfront ownership costs of EVs.
