MUMBAI: Skoda Auto is gearing up to debut its electric vehicle (EV) in India in 2028, CEO Klaus Zellmer said in an interview here on Tuesday.The company is looking to step up growth in the market where it has failed to break into the top three brands in terms of sales volumes despite operating for over two decades. Zellmer didn’t mention which model they will launch but sources said the company is evaluating electric SUV Peaq (as a CBU).The share of EV cars in India could touch 15-20% by the end of the decade, Zellmer added, lauding govt’s efforts aimed at reducing CO2 footprint even as he flagged concerns about the potential impact of the E20 fuel mandate on older generations of cars.The EV move also comes as talks to form a joint venture with a local partner here gains pace. The Czech Republic-based carmaker from the house of Volkswagen Group is in negotiations to finalise a deal with JSW Group as part of which the Sajjan-Jindal led conglomerate could make an investment in Skoda Auto’s India unit and hold a majority stake in the JV, it is understood.Zellmer said that Skoda requires a new ‘business model’ in India to shore up its growth and expects that the launch of an EV here will place the country among its top three markets globally.“We are looking for a potential partner to form a JV with a strong local entity. We have been discussing it for a quite long time. We have discussed that with a couple of different industry players…..this is getting married and we have to choose carefully because this is something for the long-run,” Zellmer said.
