The prudent car maker of the country, Maruti Suzuki India Limited has been present for around 3 decades in the domestic auto market. The company has marked its presence in all the segments, and is known to cater to the interests of auto lovers from across the nation. Its innovations have been lauded on global and domestic levels as the car maker always employs a pragmatic approach in its designs and technologies. To make the environment more eco-friendly and sustainable, the company has introduced a number of innovations in the past, out of which is the Maruti Suzuki Eeco Charge. This car is the electric version of the company's standard Utility Vehicle (UV) Maruti Suzuki Eeco.
Interestingly, this car was first showcased in the year 2010 and was specifically manufactured to run during the proud event of Commonwealth games, which occurred in the same year. There have not been many electric cars in India and the launch of Maruti Suzuki Eeco Charge was momentous for the company. The exterior, interior and the platform of this car was exactly the same as Maruti Suzuki Eeco, except the former was incorporated with a lithium-ion battery and boasted of zero exhaust emission.
The advanced lithium-ion batteries had a capacity of 24 kWh and generated a decent output of almost 68 bhp. The car took almost 7 hours at standard 220 voltage to get fully charged and once powered, it could reach a top speed of 100 kmph. The battery of this car was equipped under the floor; thus providing better drivability and extra boot space to the occupants. Interestingly, the car could be charged using a normal power source in the household along with the kit provided for charging purposes.
Experts unanimously agree that if compared to the petrol version of this car, the electric variant was a better performer in all aspects. The petrol trim of Maruti Suzuki Eeco was equipped with a 1.2-litre engine, which belted out approximately 72 bhp of power 101 Nm. The engine was melded with a basic 5-speed manual gearbox, which transferred all the energy to the rear wheels. Although, the car had an ARAI tested fuel economy statistic of almost 15 kmpl, it still was not as eco-friendly as the electric variant.
There is a huge utilisation of utility cars in India, as such automobiles are exemplary people carriers as well as goods transporters. All the big and small corporations have the usage of such utility vehicles along with the normal buyers, who purchase these cars for their cost-effectiveness and usability. According to surveys carried out by authorities through all the Maruti car dealers in India, the Eeco has been sold excessively in the market. Just like all the Maruti cars, which have been present in the country, this utility vehicle has also been able to impress a major section of the Indian buyers. It is expected that the utility vehicle market is going to expand in the coming years and it would be interesting to see what techniques Maruti Suzuki employs to maintain its high stature in the respective segment.
