The Maruti Swift Range Extender is the hybrid version of the Swift. It was showcased by Maruti Suzuki at the 2014 Auto Expo. The car has is still far from mass production, but Maruti is looking to develop an initial batch of cars to provide it to the Delhi government as part of a pilot project.
The Maruti Swift Range Extender makes use of a 658cc inline three-cylinder petrol engine in tandem with a 55kW electric motor mounted on the front-axle. There’s a 5kWh lithium ion battery which can power the car for a range of 25.5km, and takes around 90 minutes to get fully charged via a a 200V socket. The Swift Range Extender is around 130kg heavier than its conventional petrol-engined counterpart currently sold in India, which weighs around 960-990kg. Maruti claims that the Swift Range Extender offers a combined fuel efficiency of up to 48.2kpl.
Although there is no confirmation yet on where Maruti stands in terms of its pilot project, or whether the commercial launch is any time soon, the company did showcase the model again on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5). The carmaker is understood to still be working out the feasibility factor. Since the engine, electric motor and the battery pack are all imported, the pricing is likely to be on the higher side. But what will help Maruti is the Indian government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles) scheme which offers incentives to encourage EV and hybrid manufacturers.
Suraj Kannan