Mahindra unveils new 'INGLO EV platform', promises 5 e-SUVs under new brands in 2-4 yrs

Homegrown sports utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra, on Monday, unveiled its new electric vehicle architecture called 'INGLO EV platform' and five e-SUVs under the two EV brands - Iconic brand XUV with the Twin Peak logo and the all-new electric-only brand called BE - showcasing its vision for the future of electric mobility.

Mahindra, in a press statement, revealed its EV plans and said, "Mahindra's vision is to lead the electric mobility revolution in India by bringing authentic electric SUVs with cutting-edge technology, through the three key strategic pillars of Brand, Design and Technology."

Mahindra's new INGLO EV platform is based on a modular electric skateboard that will underpin the homegrown manufacturer's new range of EVs, which are set to arrive by the end of 2024. Interestingly, Mahindra also revealed that the platform will use Volkswagen's modular electric drive matrix (MEB). Volkswagen's future I.D. family models, which are currently being developed, are based on the new MEB components.

New brands

Mahindra, which aims to bring the sport in electric SUVs, unveiled two new brands created specifically to house the company's EV portfolio – the brand XUV with the Twin Peak logo in Copper and a new EV brand called BE.

Mahindra stated that the brand XUV would offer a range of products built upon the company's legacy while embracing the future. "With a sophisticated futuristic design, pulsating performance and dynamic innovation, it is targeted at customers who have the passion to live life beyond boundaries while making a difference," it added. On the other hand, with the new BE brand, Mahindra aims to target new customers with its new design language.

Mahindra's new e-SUVs

The company also showcased five e-SUVs under these new brands: the XUV.e8, XUV.e9, BE.05, BE.07 and BE.09. Mahindra also revealed the launch dates for its new e-SUVs and said the first to arrive would be the XUV.e8 in December 2024, followed by the XUV.e9 in April 2025. On the other hand, its BE branded vehicle BE.05 will debut in October 2025, while the BE.07 is slated for October 2026. The company hasn't revealed any launch date for the BE.09.

All above-mentioned e-SUVs will be based on Mahindra's new Heartcore design philosophy and would create an electrifying presence while retaining the Mahindra core SUV heritage, said the company statement.

Dr Anish Shah, managing director & CEO of Mahindra Group said, "Mahindra will offer customers future-ready technology, head-turning design, world-class products and the benefits of global partnerships. By 2027, we expect that a quarter of the SUVs we sell will be electric."

Mahindra's new INGLO EV platform

Mahindra's new INGLO EV platform will be used to build SUVs between 4,368mm and 4,735mm and will have a flexible wheelbase, said the company. In addition to this, the automaker also said that its new architecture will use a common battery pack design and will use the LFP chemistry to be safer than NMC-based cells.

The e-SUVs battery sizes would be between 60-80kWh and support fast charge of 175kW, charging the battery from 0 to 80 per cent in less than 30 minutes. Mahindra claims that the 80kWh battery would offer a driving range of up to 450km under the WLTP cycle.

The new e-SUVs are likely to arrive in both rear-drive as well as all-wheel-drive setups. The statement also reveals that the e-SUV's front motor will produce 109hp and 135Nm of torque, while the rear units will churn out 286hp and 560Nm of torque. Mahindra also claims a sprint time of 0-100kph between 5-6 seconds.

In terms of safety, Mahindra says that the cars based on the new platform would be able to secure a high score in the various NCAP programs - GNCAP, EuroNCAP and BNCAP. The company also stated that due attention has been given to active safety and the cars will have ADAS capabilities up to L2+ autonomy.

In terms of features, the new e-SUVs are likely to get class-leading safety equipment, augmented reality-enabled heads-up display, edge-to-edge screen, 5G network capability and Over-The-Air updates among others.