The line-up of Mahindra cars in India has typically consisted of SUV’s and even today, the company is known for being a true-blue SUV maker, more than anything else. But the line-up does go beyond SUV’s and the entire automotive portfolio is rather extensive. It ranges from some of the most advanced commercial vehicles in the world today, to passenger vehicle platforms, many of whom, are under various stages of development.
The company is also huge on the plug-in electric vehicle scene. It already has the e2o hatchback in its portfolio, which has met with considerable success in the southern market of the country. Recently though, it has focussed its efforts on expanding the line, given the way electric vehicles are quickly turning into a viable automotive solution for the future. The immediate result of which is the Mahindra Verito Electric - the electric powered variant of its existing Verito sedan.
Slated to be launching sometime towards the mid of the year, the Mahindra Verito Electric is aimed more towards fleet owners or taxi services. The reasoning behind this approach seems to be quite solid in principle. Fleet vehicles and taxis tend to spend the most time on the road, in search of fares as owners & drivers seek to pay off the acquisition costs & earn a profit. Given how vehicular pollution is starting to loom large on the collective horizon, electric powered cars offer a zero tail-pipe emissions alternative to this vexing problem.
Mahindra cars in India have typically been known for their competitive cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. With plug-in electric vehicles however, the cost of the battery pack & the associated hardware, along with the support infrastructure can prove to be prohibitive from a rollout perspective. The company is also cautiously optimistic that the government shall roll out tax-sops to electric vehicles which should serve to off-set the higher production costs. Meanwhile, it estimates that they’ll find mainstream viability at a production run of 40,000 units per annum.
Further, the company has teamed up with fellow auto-manufacturers & automotive giants, Maruti & Tata Motors for the FAME program being pushed by the central government. An acronym, FAME stands for Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles. Currently, China is the sole manufacturer for the lithium-ion battery packs which form the backbone of these vehicles. The government & industry collaborating towards a cheaper, Make in India solution, the day isn’t far when Mahindra cars in India along with others in the electric vehicle segment will be powered by domestically developed battery packs and other assorted tech bits.
