Volkswagen’s Skoda sees an opportunity to offer hybrid vehicles in India in order to broaden customer fuel options and reduce emissions, Skoda Auto’s CEO said on Tuesday in New Delhi.
Skoda currently offers four models in India, including SUVs and sedans, but this is the first time the automaker has considered introducing hybrid vehicles to the South Asian country.
“We also have something in between battery electric vehicles and purely combustion engine cars,” Klaus Zellmer told a conference, adding that the hybrid choice should be available.
Hybrids are more fuel efficient than petrol vehicles because they use both electric motors and combustion engine
Along with partner Maruti Suzuki, Toyota is the global market leader in hybrid vehicle sales. In India, the company also sells hybrid vehicles.
India’s federal sales tax on EVs is only 5%, whereas the tax on hybrids may be as high as 43%, which is similar to the 48% tax on petrol cars.
The administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to increase the percentage of electric car sales from 2% to 30% by 2030.
Hybrids are being considered by other automakers as well.
Mahindra stated in May that it was “closely looking at” hybrid technology, and Hyundai Motor is assessing plans to introduce its first hybrid vehicle in India as early as 2026.
Zellmer emphasised how important it is for Indian policy to be steady.
“We are fully committed to India’s transformation to electric mobility… We want to be seen as the best selling EU brand in India, by the end of this decade, we’re going to do that in a sustainable fashion,” he said.