General Motors working on electric-vehicle technology for India

Karl Slym, president and managing director of General Motors India Pvt Ltd, tells DNA the US car major’s pact with Reva Electric Car Company to jointly work on an electric variant of the Chevy Spark - e-Spark - went off the track as it was not a quick-to-market solution. Excerpts from the interview:
 
Why did General Motors (GM) and Reva sever technology ties after Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) takeover?
It was not after M&M (takeover). We decided to move apart about six weeks earlier than that.  Originally (when we had entered into a pact with Reva), we had thought we had quick-to-market strategy with Reva and Chevy Spark technology. (However), after having worked together for about a year, it became clear that even though we could have a (electric) solution (together), it would not be quick. So, therefore, we (GM) would not benefit from it compared to working in our own company. That’s why we decided not to go ahead with the electric vehicle (EV) project with Reva. However, since we enjoyed working with Reva, we decided not to cancel it (the pact with Reva) totally.

We thought let’s continue to work together on exploring what it (EV) means in India. That work (exploring the potential of EV in India) we stopped more recently because there is no need to do that anymore. (After M&M deal), they’ve got their own opportunity in India and we got ours. When I talk about exploring potential in India, I mean that we have got a whole lot of work to be done for people to accept it (EV).

It’s one thing making a car or two and say here’s a car but it’s another thing to sell them (cars) to customers, who are happy with for many years. That’s the piece (making commercially viable cars) we were not comfortable with.  It wasn’t okay with us to bring to market something that customers weren’t happy with. To get there, it was going to be a much longer development cycle (for Reva and GM). We found eventually that it wasn’t going to be a quick solution after all.

Does that mean GM’s e-Spark launch by the end of this calendar year is shelved?
Yes, there will be no e-Spark that we were going to launch in December this year.

Are you looking at any other EV launch in India in the near future?
Of course, there will an EV (from GM) in future. In Shanghai, we are currently working on an ENV - electric network vehicle. In India, EVs will be sold in the small car segment.

By when can we expect an EV from GM in India?
As soon as we can find someone who can come up with an EV that is commercial viable. It should be car customers who should be happy to buy. We are also working on EV technology, which will have an Indian version as well. Everybody is working on EV. It’s considered to be one of future potentials. It’s not there yet but it’s a potential.  So just like people are working on fuel cells and hydrogen and hybrid cars, they are also working on EV. There’ll be an electric solution (in vehicles) soon. Today, GM’s only vehicle in that category ready to go is the Chevy Volt. That too is an ERV, not an EV.
 

Till now, it is only Chevrolet brands that have dominated in India. Do you plan to bring any other brands into India?
Yes. We don’t play in the luxury segment. GM has some very nice brands that fit in there. Cadillac is one such brand. Some time back (about two years back), we did a study to see if Indian consumers recognise the Cadillac and their views on it.

We found that it (Cadillac) has a good image and opportunity in the market. But today, we need to focus solidly on continuing to grow Chevrolet and introducing LCV (light commercial vehicle) in the market. That’s our priority.

When are you likely to bring the Cadillac to India?
There’s no plan now. There is no time to plan for it. I am just saying Cadillac is well known in India. It has a good brand recognition. That’s a product (in the luxury segment) that has some potential as opposed to, say, a Buick which is not so well known here. We sell loads of Buick in China but Buick’s a name that isn’t really known in India.