Skoda VW India Eyes Bigger Opportunities In The EV Space

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After relying solely on luxury brands for EV sales for four years, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India set to launch EVs under mainstream brands this year with locally produced models to follow later

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) isn’t all gung ho on EVs, with sales limited to luxury brands. However, with plans to launch mainstream electric models in the coming years, the company expects EVs to contribute up to 20% to its overall portfolio by 2030.

For the uninitiated, SAVWIPL manages Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini brands. Of these five Volkswagen Group brands, only Audi and Porsche currently have EVs in Indian showrooms. Now, the company is planning mainstream EVs under the Skoda and Volkswagen brands.

SAVWIPL will introduce fully localised EVs from Skoda and Volkswagen brands before the end of this decade, MD and CEO Piyush Arora said in an interview with Business Standard. The company is “actively exploring opportunities” to manufacture electric cars, he added.

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Initially, SAVWIPL will rely on imported EVs for the core brands. The company planned to launch the VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq in India last year but has delayed both models for various reasons. Currently, the company is waiting to see how India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU folds out, depending on which it would decide the feasibility of minor localisation and the product line-up.

Both VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq were planned to be imported as completely built unit (CBU) models, but SAVWIPL later considered assembling the latter. Moreover, the company has since started evaluating even the Enyaq Coupe and Elroq, and for these models, too, it is open to assembling locally. It wants to launch at least one of these electric Skodas by September.

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As early as 2027, SAVWIPL could launch its first locally manufactured electric car. The company has evaluated the FWD version of the MEB platform, referred to as MEB Entry and MEB Small, as well as a modified version of the China Main Platform (CMP), which was silently renamed Compact Main Platform (CMP) last year. The company has faced setbacks with both approaches, and the new strategy remains to be seen.

SAVWIPL holds a market share of just 3%. However, the company has bigger ambitions with new products, which will include refreshes and new generations of locally produced ICE models as well. The company aims to go up from 3% to 5% in the medium term, Arora said.

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