The Stellantis group, which produces cars for the Citroen and Jeep brands in India, has begun exporting electric vehicles from the French automaker manufactured in Thiruvallur near Chennai. The company, which has exported 1,000 cars to Indonesia, hopes to increase exports in the coming months to meet demand from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, said Shishir Mishra, Brand Director of Citroën India, at “India EV 2024”, an exhibition and conference event for the electric vehicle sector, organized by Entrepreneur India.
Stellantis has exported the first Indian-made electric Citroens
Speaking at the event, Shishir Mishra stated that the Stellantis group has been able to produce the cars at an “interesting cost”. Mishra said that the indigenization of the battery pack had yet to occur and later stated that the company was interested in localizing batteries, but asserted that the cost savings from battery localization were difficult to estimate. In India, the company has three manufacturing plants in Ranjangaon, Hosur, and Thiruvallur, an ICT hub in Hyderabad, and a software development center in Bengaluru, as well as two research and development centers in Chennai and Pune.
“The digital hub has grown to become one of the largest internal ICT and digital organizations within Stellantis,” a recent press release states. The company produces e-C3 cars at its Thiruvallur plant. In the coming months, the company plans to increase exports from India, aiming to become competitive in the Asian market as well, which is not a main market at present. Stellantis, in fact, achieves its highest sales thanks to the European and South American markets.
Stellantis and Leapmotor have also unveiled the new C16 SUV, which will initially debut in China before becoming available in other global markets. Additionally, it appears that the company will face a legal battle following issues with the 1.2 PureTech engine, which have affected thousands of motorists who are now seeking substantial compensation.