MG Motor India’s future ‘Drive Ahead’ will focus on introducing new-age technologies added to the existing ICE technologies, said Gaurav Gupta, CCO, MG Motor India, during an interaction with Mobility Outlook.
As a part of the strategy, the company, at the recently concluded Auto Expo, showcased a slew of its global products with alternative fuel options, which included EVs, hybrids and FCEVs. “All the three technologies will stack up to take the vision forward to drive ahead,” he said, adding that all the products showcased at the expo are production ready.
With technology being a core pillar of the brand, Gupta believes that the company needs to take a stance on future technologies. Citing the example of the ZS EV, he noted that the company was amongst the first few OEMs to bring out EVs in India and intends to continue the trend with other technologies.
The CCO believes that “Green mobility is the future, not just for India, but for the world.” He added that clean fuel technology like FCEV will reduce fossil fuel impact on the environment and be a cost-efficient alternative.
Given this, the company showcased the EUNIQ 7 MPV. Based on the group’s third-generation fuel cell technology, PROME P 390, the FCEV MPV features a 6.4kg hydrogen cylinder helping for a claimed range of 605 kms.
Although the vehicle is production-ready, Gupta noted that the hydrogen fuel cell ecosystem would need more research and development to evolve as the EV infrastructure has till now. He added that stakeholders can come together to work on this platform and shorten the time the industry would take to make this accessible.
Positioning the EUNIQ 7 as an experimental vehicle for FCEVs from MG in India, the CCO noted that the company is currently evaluating the vehicle for the Indian market while also working on the ecosystem required.
Besides evaluating newer technologies in India, with the newly showcased products, MG Motor India is also assessing the preference for several body types for the market.
With the current portfolio comprising the Astor, Hector, ZS EV, and Gloster, the vehicle maker caters to only the SUV segment in India.
With the newly showcased products, which include the MG4 e-hatchback, EUNIQ 7, MIFA 9 MPV and MG 5 sedan, the company plans to venture into other vehicle body types as well.
Gupta stated that, in addition to the plug-in hybrid, pure electric, and FCEV technologies, the feedback and study will help the company understand the market and assist MG in expanding to more body styles and shapes.
The company is currently evaluating the new technologies with the new body types for the market, he said, as some vehicles have different ranges or features that appeal to different people.
“All these vehicles are unique in their own way and based on the evaluation we take the next steps,” Gupta concluded.
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