Auto Expo: Mahindra unveils electric variant of SUV KUV100 at Rs 8.25 lakh

Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra on Wednesday introduced electric variant of its compact SUV KUV100 at starting price of Rs 8.25 lakh (ex showroon Delhi post FAME benefits) at Auto Expo here.

The company claims that electric KUV 100 (eKUV 100) is India's most affordable passenger electric vehicle in the segmen.

eKUV100 offers peak power output of 40kW, torque of 120 Nm and a range of 147 km, ideal for city commuters. It comes with automatic transmission and could be fast charged to 80 per cent within 60 minutes.

Besides, the company showcased e-XUV300, which is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2021 to strengthen its position in the EV segment.

The company, part of USD 20.7 billion Mahindra group has also showcased Aton, a new age urban mobility solution and Funster, a roadster electric concept with convertible rooftop.

"It is our firm belief that shared mobility would drive large scale adoption of electric vehicles and hence our product offerings would continue to redefine shared mobility space. We intend to offer widest range of vehicles to meet the needs of shared mobility, " said Mahindra & Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka here.

He further said " affordability" is the guiding principle of the company in EV category.

Speaking on e-KUV 100, he said it was an ideal vehicle for shared mobility and personal mobility.

Sharing the details of e-KUV 100, Mahindra's Head of Electric Vehicle Development Ashish Malik said it would give the thrill of driving an SUV and eco-friendly feeling at the same time.

" It comes with a city friendly motor of 15.9 KV, which is perfect for city commute. It delivers power of 40 kw and torque of 120 Nm. The range is almost 150 km," he said.

It can be fast charged to 80 per cent in 55 minutes.

"It comes with a liquid cool battery pack and also offers the convenience and comfort of auto transmission and many connected car features as pre cool and switch it off and on remotely or even digital connected features which would be revealed at the launch," said Malik.

While talking about eXUV300, Goenka said, "it would be launched in the second half of 2021."

The eXUV300 is powered by a powerful motor and a large battery capacity ensures a long range. It has a new futuristic design with new features, smart and premium interiors with blue highlights to accentuate the new character of this SUV. It has been built on a platform that has 5-star safety rating from GNCAP.

According to Goenka, the company has invested around Rs 1,700 crore on development of electric vehicles which includes technology, infrastructure and products.

"Right now we are investing another Rs 500 crore to set up a new R&D centre at Bengaluru and a new capacity which we are setting at Pune," he said.

Goenka further said shared mobility would be the driver of growth as it would be commercially viable.

"I do believe that in EV in India the primary segment for drive the growth would be shared mobility. The reason is that the EV would be commercially viable. They have to be driven 150 to 200 km in a day which cannot happen in personal use mobility," he said adding " that is the reason Mahindra is focussing on shared mobility before we get into vehicle like eKUV 100 or eXUV 300."

The company also has plans to launch Treo.4 of its first lithium battery based three-wheeler auto.

"This will have everything locally manufactured except lithium cell," he said adding "it would be coming out very soon".

On the future of electric three-wheelers, he said: I wouldn't be surprised if in 3 to 5 years 50 per cent three-wheelers sold in India are electric three-wheelers."

While talking about Funster, Goenka said it was designed at the company's own design studio at Mumbai.

Funster offers an output of 230 kW with a top speed of 200 kmph, clocking 0 to 100 kmph in 5 seconds.

Mahindra has showcased 18 vehicles in the Auto Expo and has one of the widest displays of EVs by an Indian OEM here.