The latest EV from Mercedes-Benz costs a whopping Rs 1.55 billion. That’s why Union Road Transport Nitin Gadkari has some advice for the German automaker: Build more cars locally to cut costs.
Gadkari, speaking at an event hosted by the premium automaker in Pune on Friday, said producing more cars locally reduces costs and increases affordability.
“You increase production, only then is it possible to reduce costs. We are middle-class people, not even I can afford your car,” PTI quoted the minister as saying.
Launching Mercedes-Benz India’s first locally assembled EQS 580 4MATIC EV from its Chakan manufacturing facility in Pune, Gadkari said there is a huge market for electric vehicles in the country.
There are a total of 15.7 million registered EVs in the country and overall EV sales are up 335 percent, he said.
He told Mercedes-Benz that with new freeways across the country, there would be a bigger market for their cars.
Mercedes-Benz’s EQS 580 joins the company’s EQC SUV and AMG EQS53 4MATIC flagship EV. The EQS 580 4MATIC offers a range of 857 km. The high power density of the lithium-ion battery comes with a usable energy content of 107.8 kWh.
Mercedes-Benz India launched its electric mobility offensive in India with the launch of its all-electric SUV EQC as a fully imported unit in October 2020, priced at Rs 1.07 billion.
The union minister also raised the idea of Mercedes-Benz setting up joint ventures to set up vehicle scrapping units, which will help the company reduce parts costs by up to 30 percent.
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