MG Motor India, a wholly-owned arm of China’s SAIC Motor Corp, will roll out a locally manufactured pure-electric SUV by first half of 2020, within one year of its first product launch in the country, a top company official said Monday.

The company, also plans to launch a mid-sized SUV with petrol and diesel powertrains in the second quarter of 2019.

MG Motor would manufacture the electric SUV at its Halol plant in Gujarat.

“MG will launch a globally-competitive pure-electric SUV in India, to make our contribution to India’s energy and environmental strategies,” SAIC Motor Executive Director International Business Michael Yang told reporters here.

Yang, however, did not share details regarding the size as well as range of the electric SUV.

On company’s product strategy in India, MG Motor India President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba said, the company will launch one new model in the country every year going ahead.

“It (electric SUV) is just the first product. We have proven capability in terms of electric vehicle (EVs). Depending upon the policy and regulations scenario in India we would take a call on launching more of such products in the country,” he said.

The company can add another 1 lakh unit manufacturing capacity at Halol plant itself depending upon the market condition.

“We are investing $500 million in India by next year for the first phase. As we are in for a long term we will expand to second phase as well,” he said adding this should be enough for first 3-4 years and then we can go for second phase of expansion.

The Halol plant currently has a capacity to roll out 80,000 units per annum.

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