Mahindra eKUV100 to launch in 3 months time, says Dr Goenka

Mahindra’s EV plans were revealed at the Auto Expo 2020, with the company showcasing the Mahindra eKUV100, Mahindra eXUV300, Mahindra Atom, improved Mahindra Treo, Mahindra Treo Zor and a load carrier application of an electric Mahindra Alfa. The eKUV100 was to launch in the early part of the financial year, but the lockdown and the impact COVID-19 has left behind in the fleet segment has delayed the rollout of the new Mahindra electric car.

EVW understands that Mahindra Electric is waiting for conditions to stabilize as the country’s fleet operators, the primary customers for the eKUV100, are gradually emerging out of the lockdown mode. The automotive supply chain has been hit hard by the pandemic, and the company would not have wanted to enter a situation where it has orders and isn’t able to service them due to factories not functioning. Assembly of the eKUV100 is at Mahindra & Mahindra’s Chakan plant. The new electric car’s 72V electric platform is sent from Mahindra Electric’s plant in Bangalore and Mahindra calls the powertrain of the eKUV100 the MESMA 48.

Mahindra eKUV100 interior dashboard
The Mahindra eKUV100 will have a range of 147 km.

Bookings for the eKUV100 are now likely to commence by the end of the year while deliveries would start around January. Speaking to reporters at the media roundtable held at the Mahindra Treo Zor‘s launch, Dr Pawan Goenka, MD of Mahindra & Mahindra, when asked if a fleet launch was planned for the crossover, said:

eKUV is primarily aimed at fleet operators, yes but it is an SUV and if individuals want to buy it, by all means its a product that’s available to them, but our marketing will be aimed more at fleet operators.

Mahindra Electric has said that it has designed the eKUV100 primarily for the shared mobility segment, and EVW believes that it would do a fleet launch where clients request vehicles with about 150 km range for city use.

Big customers of Mahindra Electric include Bangalore-based employee transportation company Lithium Urban Technologies which has clocked 100+ million ekilometres with Mahindra electric cars (eVerito and e20). Ride-hailing app Uber has also deployed Mahindra’s electric vehicles in parts of the country, and That said, some personal car owners would find the eKUV100 a suitable second vehicle that is used for trips within the city.

The Mahindra eKUV100 packs a standard 15.9 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. There’s a single electric motor engaging the front wheels with 40 kW (54 PS) of power and 120 Nm of torque. Charging the battery pack to 80% capacity using a fast charger takes 55 minutes.

Mahindra eKUV100 Specifications

AspectMahindra eKUV100 Specs
Battery ChemistryLithium-ion
Battery Capacity15.9 kWh
Power40 kW (54 PS)
Torque120 Nm
Range (company claimed)147 km
80% Fast-Charging Time55 minutes
PriceRs 8.25 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
Launch dateBy end of January 2021