Maruti to launch hybrid cars

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is working on a plan to launch electric cars and compressed natural gas (CNG) variants for three or four models in India. The plan is part of the company’s broad strategy to develop small cars that run on alternative fuel technology. Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava said that they are working on multi-fuel variants and some models have been identified for CNG. A CNG kit currently costs over Rs40,000 (US$802.65) and that is expensive. He also said that these cars could only be launched in 2010 or 2011, when there is a pan-India CNG filling system from companies like Reliance. They wanted to achieve the mileage per charge and low-cost price in developing electric cars. The company has already launched liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) variants of the Maruti 800 and Wagon R. (April 13, 2009)