JLR expects BEVs to account for significant portion of India biz in 3-4 yrs

Gaydon (UK), May 21 (PTI) Jaguar Land Rover expects electric vehicles to account for a significant portion of its business in India over the next 3-4 years, as the company builds its portfolio amid hopes of faster adoption of green vehicles in the country, according to a top company executive.

Tata Motors-owned marquee brand plans to roll out around 8 variants of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in the country by 2030, including the Range Rover BEV, which is expected to be introduced in India sometimes next year.

Tata Motors-owned JLR currently does not have any BEVs in its portfolio in the country.

"I think that EVs are one of those things that will hit a point where it is going to race ahead. It was racing already, but slowed down a bit. With every manufacturer now investing, I think that the power of many will fuel this (segment) further, giving consumers confidence," Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India Managing Director Rajan Amba told PTI here.

With battery pricing dropping and mileage increasing amid the right set of government policies in place, the EV segment is moving in the right direction in the country, he added.

"For whatever reasons, it (EV sales) kind of slowed down a bit, maybe swayed by foreign sentiment, but I think that certainly for our brand and for our category where we operate, I think it will be more than enough to create in the next 3-4 years, a significant portion of our business to come from the BEV portfolio," Amba said.

He noted that when many OEMs come forward, it helps to create a market, which is not possible if only a single entity is operating in the segment.

Amba noted that adoption of EVs in luxury segment in the domestic market has been brisk and various automakers have already benefited in terms of their overall volumes in the last few years.

He expressed hope that going by the market sentiments, Range Rover BEV is also expected to generate a strong demand in the domestic market.

Amba stated that the only thing lacking and which needs to be accelerated is the speed in creating charging infrastructure which would give confidence to the prospective customers.

He noted that JLR is working very closely with Tata Motors and other group firms in this regard.

As part of its global sustainability goals, JLR aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2039. PTI MSS DR