Hyundai Motors announced that in January of the next year, it will launch the Creta, its compact sports utility vehicle, in its first electric version at its Indian plant. India ranks third globally in terms of automotive sales.
By launching the electric Creta, Hyundai intends to expand the number of SUVs in its lineup that are especially made for Indian drivers. They intend to boost their annual manufacturing to one million units by 2030.
It still plans to launch four more EV models in the South Asian market by 2030, while reducing its estimates for global car sales by 6% by that year.
With an eye toward India, Creta made its debut in July 2015. Given India’s large family culture, the model has a greater rear seat area than other SUVs.
It also has a higher bumper height, or the vertical distance from the ground to the bottom of the bumpers, as a result of the poor road conditions in the country. Included is an air purifier designed for indoor usage.
Between January and June, it supplied a record amount of cars to India. By the end of 2024, Hyundai intends to sell 605,000 vehicles in India.
To step up its presence into India, it purchased a plant in Pune from General Motors Co. in 2023. It is now being renovated to become a smart factory that can produce more than 200,000 units a year.
The South Korean carmaker intends to build 485 EV charging stations across India by 2030. Exide Energy Solutions Ltd., an Indian battery manufacturer, will mass-produce lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) batteries, which Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Corp. will use to power their first electric vehicles (EVs) designed specifically for the Indian market.
