Mahindra Electric SUVs To Use Volkswagen Components

Mahindra has plans to launch as many as eight electric SUVs by 2027

Mahindra has something big planned for its grand re-entry into the electric mobility segment. The homegrown carmaker has already teased its upcoming trio of electric SUVs ahead of their maiden official appearance slated in July later this year.

While Mahindra continues to focus on IC engine models, it will spend significant resources on its upcoming battery-powered vehicles. The electric vehicles (EVs) teased by Mahindra recently will be based on a new Born electric skateboard hence they are being termed as Born EVs from Mahindra.

Mahindra Volkswagen Partnership

Today, Mahindra and Volkswagen announced an interesting partnership. Mahindra intends to equip its ‘Born Electric Platform’ with MEB electric components such as electric motors, battery system components and battery cells. The Partnering Agreement evaluates the scope of collaboration – it indicates binding rules for the evaluation phase as well as the non-binding scope of supply.

The binding supply agreement will be negotiated in a continued constructive and legally compliant way to conclude by the end of 2022. Designed as an open vehicle platform, the MEB electric platform and its components allows car manufacturers to build their portfolio of electrified vehicles, quickly and cost-effectively. The shared objective of the two companies is to electrify the Indian automotive market, one of the most important automotive growth markets and a key element in the global decarbonisation of the mobility sector.

Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board of Management member for Technology and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components, stated, “Mahindra is a pioneer in the electric mobility space in India and a great partner for our MEB Electric Platform. Together with Mahindra, we want to contribute significantly to the electrification of India, a huge automotive market with enormous growth potential and high relevance for climate protection. It’s another proof point that the MEB is both technologically state of the art and highly competitive in terms of cost. The MEB is thus progressively developing into the leading open platform for e-mobility, generating significant volume and economies of scale. That’s crucial for every company in the EV world and the key to competitive solutions for our customers.”

Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., stated: “We are very pleased to have Volkswagen, a significant global investor in the electric mobility space, as a strategic partner in achieving our ambitious Born Electric Vison. The complementarity of their extensive technology, innovation, and vertical integration in supply chains, will provide a framework to develop our next gen “Born Electric Platform”, to be revealed soon in Oxfordshire UK. Our teams across India, UK and Detroit are passionately creating a breath-taking future.”

Volkswagen’s MEB Electric Platform is used by the Group brands Volkswagen, Audi, SKODA and SEAT/CUPRA as well as external partners. Responsibility for these partnerships has been assigned to the “Platform Business” unit created specifically for this purpose.

Mahindra Electric SUVs teased

The company will be introducing three new fully electric SUVs under its new ‘Born Electric Vision’. All three SUV
s have reportedly been designed and conceptualised by Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) which is the brand’s new global design centre based in United Kingdom and headed by Pratap Bose. As per teaser videos released previously, the three born EVs consist of a compact SUV, a mid-size SUV and a Coupe SUV.

All three SUVs will be underpinned by a new bespoke platform. First of them will be a compact SUV which is expected to be the battery-powered equivalent of XUV300. It is likely to be christened as XUV400 upon launch. Next will be a mid-size SUV that can share some similarities with XUV700. Last will be a premium coupe-style SUV which could wear a new name tag of XUV900. The company had filed a trademark for the same in the country earlier last year.