Mahindra, which was one of the first companies to bring electric vehicles into the country, has showcased a whole new range of electric vehicles. It has also launched the Mahindra eKUV100 at a price of Rs 8.25 lakh ex-showroom Delhi (after the FAME II subsidies).
Along with the Mahindra eKUV100, what took centre-stage was the Mahindra Funster concept – an electric convertible concept with scissor doors and LCD screens. It was on display to only showcase the company’s prowess at electric vehicles.
That brings us back to the Mahindra eKUV100. Before this Mahindra has had vehicles like the Mahindra e2O and Mahindra eVerito in the Indian market, which were short-range electric cars. The technology was from Mahindra Reva (a company that Mahindra acquired), which later became Mahindra Electric.
The Mahindra eKUV100 has a 40kW electric motor that puts out 53 bhp of power and 120 Nm of torque. It comes with a 15.9 kWh battery that takes about 5 hours for a full charge and can be topped up to 80 percent in just 55 minutes. It has a claimed range of 150 Km, with about 120-130 Km in real-world usage.
This is just slightly more than the battery range in the Mahindra eVerito. With this kind of range, the eKUV100 is going to be largely restricted to city use for daily commutes. While it is the least expensive electric car available in the market today, it will soon have competition from the likes of the Tata Altroz EV that may be priced at about Rs 11 lakh.
However, for those looking for extra range and better performance, Mahindra also showcased the eXUV300, the electric version of Mahindra’s five-star safety rated compact SUV. The Mahindra eXUV300 has two versions - one with a 380 volt battery system and another with a 350 volt system, with different performance parameters.
There is no word on when it will be launched in India. The Mahindra eKUV100 will, however, go on sale in the next few weeks.
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