M&M plans to build long-range electric vehicles

Mahindra and Mahindra today unveiled plans to build long-range electric vehicles, high-power battery packs and power trains, leading to the next generation of electric vehicles, which the company internally refers to as EV 2.0.

Mahindra plans to ramp up production of its electric vehicles to 5,000 units a month by mid-2019 from 400 units currently and will invest in making batteries that enable cars to run for 400 kilometres on a single charge, managing director Pawan Goenka said.

He did not disclose the investment Mahindra would make.

Mahindra Electric has pioneered the sustainable mobility cause in India and has remained committed to it for almost a decade and with the government actively pursuing rapid adoption of electric vehicles, for private as well as public–shared mobility, M&M plans to enter the EV market on a large scale.

The company now offers a range of EVs, suitable for personal as well as shared and last mile connectivity. At the same time, the company is investing in next generation EV technology solutions which will deliver longer range, higher speeds and the next generation of connected car technologies, says the company.

Further, Mahindra is actively engaging with the ecosystem stakeholders, both private and public to drive faster adoption of electric vehicles. This includes setting up of charging infrastructure and fleet operations, delivering mobility as service. The connected car solution that is already rolled out will serve as the building block for smart mobility in the smart cities, which are currently under development.
 
Speaking on the Mahindra's EV roadmap, Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 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 a robust EV ecosystem. We are also ramping up our investments towards developing the next generation of EV technologies and products that will cater to the smart cities of tomorrow."

According to Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, "At Mahindra Electric our focus goes beyond just developing electric vehicles as we strive towards investing in next generation technology solutions and globally competitive products, to drive faster adoption of electric vehicles. 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 for the next phase of our EV journey".

EV 2.0 will see the company make investments to ramp up manufacturing and charging infrastructure and to develop new, high-end electric powertrains, motor controllers, systems integration and battery technology.

Mahindra has been the pioneer of electric vehicle technology in India with its products embodying Mahindra's vision of the 'Future of Mobility', which includes the framework of Green, Connected, Convenient and Cost Effective vehicle technology.

The company made its first serious bet on electric vehicles when it acquired the Bengaluru-based Reva Electric Car Company in 2010. Earlier this year, Mahindra Electric adopted a more aggressive stance in electric mobility when it moved from being an electric vehicle manufacturer to a provider of next generation mobility solutions. In line with this, the company also underwent a change in nomenclature to Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited.

Today, there are over 2,700 electric vehicles on road from the Mahindra stable, which have clocked more than 40 million km.

The announcement comes days after government think-tank NITI Aayog released a policy blueprint favouring electric vehicles, which could influence a new green car policy.