Indian car maker Mahindra & Mahindra is highly popular throughout the country due to its prowess in the development hybrid technology. Through Mahindra Reva, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, the firm has been trying to make electric vehicles popular in the Indian car market. Industry experts, over the years, have praised the car maker for its efforts in this sector, lauding it for undertaking such a monumental task. In fact, officials from the firm had recently asked for subsidy for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Now, according to reports that have emerged, the Indian car maker is working on a hybrid technology, which is aimed to enhanced efficiency levels of vehicles. If sources are to be believed then this car is going to come with a manual gearbox, something that is quite unique as most hybrid vehicles feature automatic transmission. As per Economic Times, hybrid cars from Mahindra & Mahindra might make their debuts at Auto Expo 2014. The model equipped with this technology is likely to be a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
Statistics suggest that this firm is among the best in India when it comes to producing cars with environmental friendly technology. There are some straightforward facts that assert this claim and verify Mahindra & Mahindra's success in this vertical. Mahindra Reva is considered to be the largest electric car company in terms of production capacity. This firm produces E20 hatchback, which is regarded as the most cost-effective four-seater in the world that runs solely on battery power.
Rajan Wadhera, Chief Executive, Technology and Product Development at the firm, spoke to Economic Times, communicating future plans. "We have signed up with Samsung SDI, which is the global leader in lithium ion batteries for development and supply of these batteries for our hybrid range of vehicles. We are perfecting the hybrid technology to deploy it in various platforms and vehicles across the Mahindra range," he was quoted as saying. Usually companies across the world manufacture hybrid cars, which are powered by a combination of electric motor and regular engine. Also, these cars are designed keeping aerodynamics in mind for drag reduction. Hybrid vehicles from Mahindra & Mahindra will come with a lower weight to improve fuel-efficiency.
Many popular car makers throughout the globe sell hybrid vehicles, such as Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Volt. Notably, all these cars come with automatic transmission option. Tesla is also a famous company that produces all-electric vehicles that have earned a hefty market share in past years. However, both hybrid technology and automatic transmission do not have a significant presence in the Indian market. This is the reason why Mahindra & Mahindra is working towards a technology that incorporates manual transmission into a hybrid car. Speaking on the same, Wadhera said, “We are keen to develop a manual transmission mode compatible with the hybrid technology. It is expected to be more efficient and also more adaptable to the range of vehicles sold across various markets."
Industry experts feel that these developments indicate the rising need for fuel-efficiency in cars. Also, they show how necessary it is to conserve natural resources by finding alternatives wherever possible. Analysts suggest that although it might take some time to make this technology prominent in India, the future is going to based on hybrid cars only.
