India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki will launch its first electric vehicle later this year. It’ll be the eVX electric SUV, which was recently showcased at the Bharat Mobility Expo of 2024. While the eVX will be the first electric vehicle from Maruti, the Indo-Japanese car giant has a range of other electric vehicles coming in. One of these is a MPV, codenamed the YMC.
The YMC MPV will arrive two years after the eVX though, in the second half of 2026. According to ACI, the Maruti YMC MPV will use the same platform as the eVX. Notably, the eVX sits on a skateboard platform that Suzuki has jointly developed with Toyota. Suzuki and Toyota are in a partnership globally, and a slew of electric cars are likely to sit on the newly developed skateboard platform, which is called the 27PL.
Maruti eVX To Get A Massive 550 Kms Range!
Now, what’s a skateboard platform?
A skateboard platform essentially refers to a EV-only platform, in which the battery is integrated into the floor of the electric car. The wheels are generally at the four extremities of the battery pack, giving the platform an appearance of a skateboard. This platform can be lengthened and shortened by adding or deleting batteries, and this makes it suitable for a wide range of cars – from small hatchbacks to large MPVs.
Another big advantage of the skateboard platform is that it helps maximize interior space as the major component of the EV – the battery pack – sits low in the floor. Since the battery pack is the heaviest part of the EV, keeping it low in the vehicle also helps handling a great deal as the center of gravity is lowered when compared to internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles. All in all, the skateboard architecture is being adopted by nearly every car maker building new electric vehicles ground up.
Coming back to the YMC electric MPV, the people-mover will share its battery packs with the eVX, which means that it will be available with 40 kWh and 60 kWh battery packs. The bigger battery pack will give the YMC MPV a range of 550 kilometers, making it practical enough to replace ICE cars.
Given the fact that battery recharging facilities are growing exponentially in India, the YMC MPV could be a cost effective alternative to the Maruti Ertiga by 2026 – the year it’ll make its official debut here.
Toyota’s Own Version of the YMC Incoming?
This is a good bet to make given the fact that Toyota already sells a badge-engineered version of the Ertiga called the Rumion in India, and neighboring South East Asian markets. A YMC-derived MPV wearing the Toyota badge makes even more sense considering the fact that the skateboard platform has been jointly developed by Suzuki and Toyota.
Notably, the eVX electric SUV, which will be launched by the end of this year in India, will have a Toyota badged sibling. The Toyota electric SUV will be launched sometime next year, and is likely to command a small premium over the eVX.
Toyota Electric SUV For India: Launch Timeline
The post Maruti Suzuki’s Upcoming YMC Electric MPV: Launch And Other Key Details Revealed first appeared on Cartoq.
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