According to a top executive at India’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki, hybrid electric vehicles provide a very effective way to reduce oil imports, improve fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Rahul Bharti, Corporate Affairs Executive Officer at Maruti Suzuki stated that strong hybrids, which have both an internal combustion engine and electric motor working together, allow vehicles to be powered with less emissions and no range anxiety issues seen with electric vehicles currently.
He emphasized that the debate should not be between electric vehicles and hybrids, but rather between strong hybrids and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. Hybrid technology optimizes both power sources seamlessly without input from the driver. There is no option to run a strong hybrid in solely gasoline mode.
Bharti noted that while electrification is important, EV penetration may only reach 80% or less over the next 10-15 years, leaving room still for other technologies. Strong hybrids offer a practical transition solution by significantly lowering environmental impact of combustion engines before full electrification can be achieved at scale. On government incentives, he believes policy should take a balanced view of all technologies that contribute to emissions reductions based on their role in India’s electrification pathway.
Hybrids are viewed as an intermediate step to an all-electric future. Major automakers in India like Tata Motors, Mahindra and MG Motor are prioritizing EVs, while Maruti Suzuki is focusing more on hybrids in partnership with Toyota. Currently, clear tax breaks are only provided for one category of vehicles, with hybrids and other innovations grouped at higher tax levels. As adoption of sustainable mobility grows, ensuring incentives support multiple solutions can maximize emissions cuts during this transition period to cleaner transportation for all.
