The CEO and Chairman of Skoda, Klaus Zellmer is in New Delhi for a conference organized by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), and he just confirmed that the Volkswagen owned automaker would launch hybrid cars for the Indian market.
Here’s what Mr. Zellmer said,
We have a concrete plan. Our plan covers the whole range of cars, the whole range of portfolio with mild hybrids, plug in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. (It is) because we believe that we have to respect customers willingness to pay for what they want to use in order to be mobile.
In other words, Mr. Zellmer is saying that Skoda will not take an EV-only approach in India but will cater to what the market demands. As of now, electric cars make for just 2 % of the Indian market, and in the next 3 to 5 years, aren’t likely to move up by much.
There are many reasons for this.
1. Early adopters of electric cars have already made their purchase
2. Many of them have indicated that they’d be moving back to ICE (internal combustion engined) cars
3. The Indian government is expected to cut back on EV subsidies as it feels that cars (even electric ones) are luxury goods that doesn’t need lower taxes.
4. State governments have also begun ending subsidies on road tax on electric cars
5. Charging infrastructure is yet to develop at the pace at which it was promised.
6. Electric cars haven’t become cheaper or similar priced to ICE cars, as originally predicted.
On the other hand, hybrids – especially series-hybrids – seem to be back in the reckoning, and in a big way. Nearly every big car maker has announced plans to double down on hybrid car technology for future cars. Some big names include Ford, Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Maruti Suzuki and even Hyundai and Kia. All these car makers have announced that series-hybrid technology will co-exist will electric cars, and that they’re going to invest heavily in this technology for future mobility.
So, clearly Skoda is seeing the writing on the wall and it’s global CEO-Chairman is only articulating the thoughts of the company. With Skoda’s CEO-Chairman taking a clear stand on hybrids, expect to see the first crop of Volkswagen and Skoda hybrid cars to land in India within the next 5 years. Notably, both Volkswagen and Skoda haven’t launched a single electric in India despite having several options in their global portfolio.
With CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) norms coming into force in India by the end of 2027, along with the tighter Bharat Stage 7 (BS7) emission norms, it’s imperative for car makers to have some kind of electrification in their portfolios for them to meet these norms.
Series hybrid cars may just let car makers achieve CAFE norms seamlessly while also giving customers massive gains in fuel efficiency, running costs and of course – emissions. The cherry on the cake? No range anxiety, and no necessity for planning trips. Series hybrid cars will also allow customers the freedom of motoring – the ability to simply jump-in-and-go – an ability that electric cars simply don’t have today.
So, what is a series hybrid car?
A series-hybrid car is one that runs on an electric motor, which is powered by batteries. It’s similar to an electric car until here. However, unlike on an electric car, the batteries of a series hybrid car are not charged by the grid but instead by a small petrol engine within the car that functions as a generator. So, a series-hybrid car is powered by a small petrol engine that in turn generates electricity to charge the battery stack, which in turn powers the electric motor that turns the wheels of the car.
This technology isn’t new. It’s been around for years. In fact, the Chevrolet Volt is one of the first production cars to use a series hybrid powertrain. The Nissan Note ePower is another prominent series hybrid car, and was even seen testing in India. The technology itself has been around for decades, finding major application in diesel electric locomotives. Currently, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota and Kia are the key mass market car companies who have announced series-hybrid technology for future cars in India.
