New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): Maruti Suzuki India Limited (Maruti Suzuki) on Wednesday announced the signing of collaboration agreements with 13 Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and aggregators.

Commenting on the occasion, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, 'At Maruti Suzuki, we strive to extend a delightful ownership experience to our customers to build lasting trust. Today, we are taking a historic step by entering the electric mobility market, fully prepared to address EV charging concerns and boost customer confidence. We have established a robust network of over 2,000 Maruti Suzuki exclusive charging points across our sales and service network, spanning more than 1,100 cities.'

'Further, we have collaborated with 13 Charge Point Operators to offer access to a vast charging infrastructure across the country. Aligned with Suzuki's global vision, we plan to introduce multiple EVs and to support this, our aim is to enable a network of over 1 lakh charging pointsacross India by 2030, along with our Dealer and CPO partners,' Takeuchi added.

Showcasing the robust EV ecosystem, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, 'Today is the dawn of a new era for electric mobility in India. It gives me immense pleasure to say that Maruti Suzuki is EV-ready and will be 'By Your Side' with our comprehensive new platform that addresses key concerns around EV charging infrastructure. Leveraging India's largest dealer network and our charging partners' network, we are ensuring there are EV charging points at an average distance of 5-10 kilometres at key locations in the top 100 cities of India.'

'DC fast chargers are also located at regular intervals along key highways to enable nationwide driving freedom for our prospective EV customers. To further enhance peace of mind, we have deployed a 1.5 lakh-strong, specially-trained EV workforce to cater to every need of our customers. We have also activated 1500+ EV-ready service workshops across 1100 cities for meeting after-sales requirements to support EV ownership in every part of the country,' Banerjee added.

'Words aside, we are showcasing the prowess of this platform by flagging off a radical 'e drive' that will demonstrate the real-world efficacy of Maruti Suzuki's comprehensive EV charging network. With the 'e drive', we aim to boost user confidence and execute faster EV adoption, working alongside the nation's sustainability goals for net zero,' added Banerjee.

The automaker said in a stock exchange filing that its 'e for me' EV charging mobile app enables end-to-end usage of EV charging points from partner-operated charging points and Maruti Suzuki's own EV charging network on a single platform, offering a uniform customer journey for EV charging and payment through UPI or exclusive 'Maruti Suzuki Money', powered by Razorpay.

From the time of booking an e VITARA, the 'e for me' app will serve as a single platform for setting up the vehicle home-charger and ensuring optimal usage, locating public charging points and using them, alongside many other features on the platform.

The Company has also implemented a robust EV ecosystem that has made the Maruti Suzuki showroom network and over 1500 service workshops EV-ready, providing the best EV ownership experience in India, supported by a 1.5 lakh-strong EV-ready workforce.

To validate the EV charging network's remarkable readiness, the Company is launching the pan-India 'e drive'. As a part of the drive, four e VITARA Born EVs have driven out of Gurugram to all four corners of the country.

From Srinagar up North to the coastal tip of Kanyakumari in the South, to Dibrugarh in the East, and Bhuj at the western edge of India in Gujarat, the drive will demonstrate the real-world feasibility of pan-India EV charging and ownership, cementing the robust operational network of nationwide 'e for me' charging points. To build customer trust, the 'e for me app' will be available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, enabling prospective Maruti Suzuki EV customers to view the national EV charging network. (ANI)