Homegrown SUV maker Mahindra is set to begin its electric SUV assault with the XUV400, which is set to debut in September. The deliveries are expected to commence by January-March next year.
The OEM entered the Indian EV space back in 2013 when the company rolled out its Mahindra e20 and e20 electric hatchbacks. The models, however, were phased out in 2019 on grounds of lacking sales.
With Tata Motors leading the electric passenger vehicle (PV) segment with its Tata Nexon and Tata Nexon Max offerings, Mahindra has announced the debut of XUV400 EV under its ‘EV Co.’ subsidiary. The announcement comes after UK-based Development Finance Institution and impact investor British International Investment (BII) has agreed to invest Rs 1,925 crore in Mahindra’s venture. The EV co. will focus on electric SUVs in India.
The SUV will be expected to come with an expected range of more than 300km to compete with its potential rival, Tata Nexon, which comes with an ARAI-certified range of 312km. On the other hand, MG ZS EV leads the race of range offered with an ARAI-claimed range of 461km on a single charge, after the OEM upgraded the model’s game with a new motor and a bigger battery.
In a recent report, CRISIL claimed that the share of utility vehicles, which consists of both SUVs and MUVs has surged to 48 per cent in the first nine months of FY22. The report predicts that the share of SUVs in the utility vehicles sold in India will reach 53 per cent in FY26, seeing a substantial jump from 39 per cent in FY2021.
Earlier this year, Mahindra confirmed that it will also unveil its three electric concepts on August 15, 2022, under the ‘Born EV’ range. The company will also showcase its technology and platform technology at the event.
