NEW DELHI: Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday launched its flagship electric origin SUVs - the BE 6e at a starting price of 18.90 lakh and XEV 9e at a starting price of Rs 21.90 lakh. The carmaker will roll out the new SUVs in a phased manner in the latter part of January 2025.
Deliveries are expected to commence towards the end of February or early March 2025. The automaker claims a certified range of 682 km (MIDC P1+P2) for BE 6e and 656 km (MIDC P1 + P2) for XEV 9e with 79 kWh advanced LFP battery pack. The unveiling and price announcement by Mahindra for its new EV lineup comes at a time when two other big players are gearing up to launch their battery-powered vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) will start producing its first EV early next year. Its parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) recently unveiled its first mass-production battery electric vehicle (BEV) model, named e VITARA, in Milan, Italy. Production for electric SUV will start in 2025, with sales expected to begin in various countries, including Europe, India, and Japan, around summer 2025.
Hyundai Motor India , Korean car brand and M&M’s competition for the number 2 spot in domestic market, will be launching electric version of its most popular SUV Creta early next year. This will be the first big launch by HMIL after it got listed on Indian exchanges.
Many industry experts believe big launches by the three top automakers will play an important in boosting electric car adoption in India which till the end of FY24 was just about 2% of the total passenger vehicle sales. There is also an apprehension about EVs in many global markets over their feasibility.
Tata Motors, which controls more than half of the electric car market in India, is also gearing up for a couple of more big EV launches next year. Tata Motors is facing stiff competition from JSW MG Motor whose recent launch Windsor became the top-selling e-car in October.