Jeep evaluating options before finalising EV strategy for India : report
PTI citing a top company executive. “Options for electrification (of vehicles) is something we are studying right now because the customer is at the centre and his (customer's) needs have to be satisfied. Globally, we have a vast expansion of the EV portfolio.
So, we are evaluating different options for India," Aditya Jairaj, Head of Jeep India Operations and deputy managing director at Stellantis India told PTI. According to the report, the automaker also said that it is aiming for over 90% localisation in its compact SUV Jeep Compass over the next three years. Jeep India, a part of automobile group Stellantis, has a 50:50 joint venture manufacturing facility with Tata Motors at Ranjangaon in Pune district.
On Saturday, the company launched the new Jeep Compass nine-speed AT Diesel in a 4x2 configuration. The vehicle has been exclusively developed in India. For the next generation products, the company is looking at 40% higher localisation from the current level of 70%, which will be quite significant, said the report citing Jairaj.
“It is not just localising for India, but it is India for India and India for the world," Jairaj told PTI. Jeep India currently has four products in its portfolio -- Compass, Meridian, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. Of these four, it exports Jeep Compass and Jeep Meridian to markets such as Japan and Australia, among others.
According to the report,, exports will be one of the important components of the company's long-term strategy as it not only gives the scale but also provides a competitive advantage as well in terms of cost. “So exports have to work in tandem with the domestic market in order to be more and more value proposition," Jairaj told PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
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