Pawan Goenka rules out electric variants of the Mahindra Scorpio & TUV300

20/09/2017 - 15:47 Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra Dhruv Saxena

Mahindra & Mahindra has been at the forefront of electric PVs in India. The company is looking to expand their range working on new platforms for upcoming EV products. However, existing models like the Scorpio and TUV300 are not a part of the future Mahindra electric vehicle range.

Mahindra Scorpio electric variant ruled out by Pawan Goenka — Contrary to media reports, an electric variant of the Mahindra Scorpio is not in the works since its body-on-frame construction is not suited to an electric powertrain.

The company has stated that they will be investing INR 300-400 crores progressively into converting existing products to electric vehicles. However, this exercise will not include products like the Scorpio as some have been claiming. Body-on-frame chassis, which underpins UVs is not suitable for electrification with weight constraints being one of the multiple reasons.

Speaking to Autocar, Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, "we are not taking any of the body on frame vehicles to electric." He added that the future electric range that Mahindra will roll out will comprise city-centric vehicles built on a new platform. The unsuitability of body-on-frame or ladder frame based vehicles also rules out electric variants of the Mahindra TUV300 and Bolero.

The Mahindra XUV500 and the KUV100, which are based on a monocoque chassis, are likely to be a part of Mahindra electrification plans. In fact, past media reports have indicated that the Mahindra XUV Aero Concept showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo last February could enter production with an electric powertrain.

Mahindra XUV500 electric in the works — Mahindra has announced a significant investment towards converting some its existing products to electric vehicles. The monocoque chassis based XUV500 could one of the beneficiaries.

Also Read - Mahindra XUV500 facelift confirmed

Mahindra is hoping to be at the forefront of India's switch to electric vehicles by 2030 as directed by the Government. The company will be investing significant capital and time and prioritizing electric car projects for the future.

[source - Money Control]

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