Volkswagen’s all-electric MEB platform will form the basis of five electric SUVs to be made by Indian auto giant Mahindra, the German carmaker announced on Monday (Europe time).
Using components from Volkswagen group’s MEB platform, the Inidan carmaker will build its own purpose-built platform dubbed Inglo.
This will underpin five electric SUVs called the XUV.e8, XUV.e9, BE.05, BE.07 and the BE.09. The first of the five electric SUVs is slated for launch by the end of 2024 in India while the other four are planned for launch by 2026, Mahindra said.
The Mahindra Group and Volkswagen AG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the strategic partnership for the Indian market. All in all, 1,000,000 electric SUVs will be made under the agreement.
This partnership will allow Mahindra to leverage Volkswagen’s global expertise in electric vehicle technology, while also benefiting from the German automaker’s massive economies of scale. In turn, Volkswagen will gain a foothold in India’s burgeoning EV market.
“The MEB Electric Platform and its components are key to affordable sustainable mobility around the globe,” said Thomas Schmall, VW board member for technology in a statement.
“The partnership not only demonstrates that our platform business is highly competitive, but also that the MEB is well on track to become one of the leading open platforms for e-mobility.”
Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director for auto and farm at Mahindra & Mahindra, said that the company’s focus in not only on India, but also global markets.
“Our vision is to lead the electric mobility revolution in India by bringing authentic electric SUVs with cutting-edge technology, as showcased in the UK today.,” he said in a statement.
“We are very pleased to explore further areas of potential collaboration with Volkswagen and are confident that together, we will be able to shape an exciting electric future.”
The five EVs that will be jointly developed by Mahindra and Volkswagen will have a range of up to 500 kilometres on a single charge. They will be targeted at both the mass market and the premium segment, and priced under $A71,000 according to Autonews.
This partnership is just one of many that Mahindra has formed with other automakers in recent years. The Indian conglomerate has also partnered with Ford, Ssangyong in the past, and in 2015 it acquired 76% of Italian luxury marque Pininfarina. However in 2021, its collaboration with Ford to build a range of SUVs for India and other emerging markets came to an end.
The Mahindra Group is one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles in India. It currently offers a range of EVs, including the e2o Plus hatchback, the e-Verito car, and e-Supro van. It also sells the e-Alfa Mini, an electric three-wheeler that is a popular mode of transport in India.
The Volkswagen Group is a leader in electrification and has been investing heavily in electric vehicle technology in recent years. It plans to sell one million EVs globally by 2025, and is poised to overtake Tesla in battery electric sales as a group according to the latest data from Bloomberg.
India has the potential to become one of the top electric car markets in the world, and thus has great importance for both Mahindra and Volkswagen. The Indian government has ambitious plans to have all new vehicles sold in the country be electric by 2030.
Mahindra is well-positioned to take advantage of this shift, given its experience in electric vehicle manufacturing. The partnership with Volkswagen will only bolster its position in the Indian EV market.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.