MG Bets 80% of Sales on EVs as Fuel Prices Spike Post West Asia War
JSW MG Motor India MD Anurag Mehrotra told PTI on Thursday that new energy vehicles will contribute 70 to 80 per cent of the company's total sales this fiscal, citing a demand shift triggered by fuel price volatility since the West Asia war escalated in March.
What was announced
Speaking to PTI on July 16, JSW MG Motor India MD Anurag Mehrotra said the company expects new energy vehicles (NEVs), its umbrella term covering pure electric and plug-in hybrid models, to account for 70 to 80 per cent of overall sales this year. The forecast follows what Mehrotra described as a clear demand shift after March, when fuel prices spiked in the wake of the West Asia war.
MG calling itself an NEV company is less bold strategy and more honest admission that its ICE lineup has quietly stopped mattering.
Mehrotra said, "After March, once the West Asia crisis hit, we are actually seeing a better traction on NEVs, and that is clearly visible by the penetration going up." MG's current electric lineup in India includes the Windsor EV, ZS EV and Comet EV, with the Hector, Astor and Gloster on the ICE side.
Alongside the sales guidance, MG unveiled ADAPT, short for Advance Drive Architecture Platform Technology, a dedicated platform for multiple new energy vehicles. Mehrotra confirmed that a new electric vehicle built on ADAPT will launch first, followed by a plug-in hybrid later in the same year. The plug-in hybrid would mark MG's first PHEV for India, giving the brand a bridge product for buyers who want electrified running costs without full EV commitment. The company did not disclose pricing, battery specifications, range figures, or the exact launch window for either ADAPT-based product at the announcement.
The Car Jury verdict
MG's numbers are real. The Windsor EV and ZS EV have carried the brand's volumes for months, and ICE MGs like Astor and Gloster barely register on monthly charts. Calling itself an NEV company is less strategy and more admission. Rachit Hirani of MotorOctane put it bluntly, noting the brand "launched EV with ICE" as an afterthought.
The bigger question is durability. Fuel-price panic buying fades; residuals, service network depth and battery confidence do not. Arun Panwar has already flagged reliability doubts around MG ownership versus a Toyota Fortuner, and that perception tax is real money at resale. For buyers, the Windsor EV is a WAIT until the BaaS math and long-term battery data settle, and the Hector remains a WAIT for the same reliability reasons. MG's 80 per cent EV mix is a survival pivot, not a victory lap.
