Mahindra to invest in next-gen EV tech

Mahindra Electric, the Mahindra Group’s electric vehicle development and manufacturing arm, has announced that it will make investments to ramp up its manufacturing and charging infrastructure and will develop new high-end electric powertrains, motor controllers, system integration and battery technology.  The all-new initiative is termed as ‘EV 2.0’. 

The announcement, which comes a week and a half after Niti Aayog, the government think tank, revealed a draft of the country’s planned shift to EVs by 2032, is indicative of the Mahindra Group’s intent to make the most of this drive towards electric mobility.  The Niti Aayog plan foresees electric mobility taking centre stage in line with the government of India’s plan to pursue rapid adoption of EVs for private and public shared utility. 

Compared to all other automobile manufacturers in the country, Mahindra Electric is well placed to capitalise on the EV programme.  The company, which is the sole electric carmaker in the country, currently has three electric vehicles – the e20 Plus hatchback, eVerito sedan and eSupro commercial van. 

According to the company, with EV 2.0, it is set to invest in next-generation EV technology solutions that will deliver longer range, higher speeds and also utilise connected car technology. 

Speaking on the Mahindra Group’s EV roadmap, Dr Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra, and chairman, Mahindra Electric, said: “The time has now arrived for EVs to become mainstream and Mahindra has the right technology and products for India.  We will actively engage with the government both at the centre and the state, municipal bodies and other private players for setting up robust EV ecosystem.  We are also ramping up our investments towards developing next-generation EV technologies and products that will cater to the smart cities of tomorrow.” 

Speaking at the announcement, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, said, “With EV 2.0, we have laid out a clear roadmap for electric mobility in India, at par with our global counterparts and are future-ready to set out the next phase of our EV journey.” 

What's the growth plan? 
Mahindra will be working with SsangYong on developing EV technology, and will increase EV manufacturing at its Chakan plant.  The company is also set to launch its electric three-wheeler (eRickshaw) along with an electric bus equipped with a 650v battery. 

With the company working on EVs with 380v and 650v battery capacity, the company claims that the vehicle will be able to achieve top speeds up to 200kph and will have a range of up to 400km. 

The company has urged governmental support to help nurture R&D in the country, and make registrations easier while facilitating charging stations to further boost adoption in the nascent EV market.