M&M launched electric-origin SUVs at an aggressive price tag which could shake up the mid-size SUV market.
27 Nov 2024 | 5164 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
To accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its Electric Origin SUVs BE 6e and XEV 9e at disruptive prices, to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, undercutting mainstream internal combustion engine vehicles by Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh on the road.
Launching ...
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To accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its Electric Origin SUVs BE 6e and XEV 9e at disruptive prices, to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, undercutting mainstream internal combustion engine vehicles by Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh on the road.
Launching the vehicles in Chennai on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Rajesh Jejurikar, ED & CEO of the Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra, said, "We believe we have a very competitive offering, which will create a category. We have always said this is not about EVs or not EVs; it is about creating a certain lifestyle. We believe we have positioned ‘unlimit’ love, technology, performance, and the right price to create a new category in the Indian automotive space." There has always been a question of whether M&M would be a niche or mainstream play, but with this aggressive price tag, the company is set to shake up the mid-size SUV market.
Elaborating on the disruptive pricing of both BE 6e, Jejurikar explained that the vehicle is positioned in the UV 1 category as defined by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association, where approximately 44,000 SUVs are sold monthly. The top two variants account for 50% of the segment.
He informed that the average on-road price of the top 2 variants in the UV1 segment is Rs 21.7 lakh. With an ex-showroom price of Rs 18.9 lakh, the BE 6e's indicative on-road price would be around Rs 20.36 lakh—almost 1.35 lakh lower than the rival's offerings.
Similarly, the XEV 9e is positioned in the UV2 and UV3 categories, where approximately 42,000 units are sold monthly. The top two variants in this segment sell about 18,000 units a month. The on-road weighted average for rival products is about Rs 30.2 lakh.
"Our pack one is highly competitive, comparable to many of the variants of UV2 and UV3. The equivalent on-road price in Chennai is about Rs 23.90 lakh. We will announce pack 2 and pack 3, closer to the launch," added Jejurikar. M&M is set to be joined by EV launches from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India in the coming two quarters. The company has tactically kept the higher variant pricing under wraps, and based on competitive action, it may further sweeten the offering with higher variants.
Apart from expressive design, the BEVs are powered by two battery options 79 kWh and 59 kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries. The 79 kWh variant delivers a certified range of 682 km (MIDC P1+P2) for the BE 6e and 656 km for the XEV 9e -- among the highest in India, claims the company.
The 3-in-1 integrated powertrain produces up to 210 kW power and 380 Nm of instant torque. The vehicle offers fast charging capabilities with 20-80% charging possible in under 20 minutes using a 175 kW fast charger.
The technology suite includes a new electrical and electronic architecture in MAIA that features 220k DMIPS, 51 TOPS with over 80 billion transistors and 130+ million lines of code. The system runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8295 chipset, supported by 24 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6.0, Bluetooth 5.2, and 5G capability.
For the interior comfort and entertainment, the models come with "Sonic Studio Experience by Mahindra," developed in collaboration with AR Rahman and 16-time Grammy winner Richard King. The system features a 1,400-watt, 16-speaker Harman Kardon setup with Dolby Atmos. A unique VenueScapes Live feature authenticates acoustics from iconic venues such as Mumbai's Royal Opera House and London's Wembley Stadium.
The vehicles feature advanced safety systems including ADAS Level 2+ with 5 radars and 1 vision camera. The "Secure360" system provides comprehensive surveillance with 360-degree cameras and in-cabin monitoring. The "Autopark" feature utilises 12 ultrasonic sensors for various parking manoeuvres.
With an aggressive price tag and highly feature-packed vehicles, M&M is eyeing big volumes from the EV space. The company had guided for a volume of 2 lakh units between 2027 and 2030, and it sees a penetration of 30% sales coming from EVs in the coming half a decade.
M&M has allocated Rs 4,500 crore to develop and manufacture the models out of the total Rs 16,000 crore investment planned for the F22-F27 cycle. This includes powertrain development, software and tech development, and manufacturing capacity expansion. The company is establishing a 90,000-unit annual production facility at its Automotive Division in Chakan, which is scheduled for completion by March 2025.