Mahindra to launch five new electric cars in Europe with help from VW

Mahindra may not be a household name in the UK, but it is one of India’s biggest car manufacturers and is now looking to expand into the UK and Europe with five electric SUVs. Alongside the launch of a new brand, the announcement of a UK design center and an agreement to use elements of VW’s MEB platform in its cars, Mahindra’s plans are very ambitious.

Mahindra’s plans center around the creation of a new electric platform called INGLO, on which it will base five electric SUVs under two separate brands. These are the XUV, which is already established in Asia, and BE, an all-new EV-only brand that will introduce a new design language and look.

INGLO platform

Like most modern EV platforms, INGLO is designed to be modular and scalable so that it can support vehicles of different sizes and applications. A skateboard platform by design, Mahindra says it’s relatively lightweight. Along with the platform itself, the battery packs offered will be equally modular and based on two different cell types. They will range from 60 to 80 kWh in size and will be able to charge up to 175 kW, allowing an 80 percent charge to be achieved in less than 30 minutes. Vehicle up to load will be offered.

Powertrains will be available in 228bhp-282bhp in rear-wheel drive, single motor or 335bhp-389bhp in all-wheel drive, dual motor. Zero to 62 mph times will be in the five to six second region. Various drive modes will be available, and brake-by-cable will allow adjustable regeneration. All of this will be managed by a new operating system that combines three computers and has built-in 5G connectivity for over-the-air updates.

Working with VW

Some components on the INGLO platform will be supplied by Volkswagen as part of the NEW AUTO brand strategy, which sees VW offering its technology to third-party vehicle manufacturers. Although the specific nature of the components has not been documented, it is our understanding that INGLO is effectively a derivative of MEB.

VW will deliver more than one million units over the life of the deal, which will run beyond 2026, when the last of the five new SUVs will be launched.

The cars

Mahindra has provided sneak peeks of each of the SUVs it will launch between December 2024 and the end of 2026 in the UK and Europe. These are:

The XUV.e8, expected in December 2024, which at 4,740 mm long, 1,900 mm wide and 1,760 mm tall, is a larger e-SUV. The 2,762mm wheelbase should offer plenty of space, while Mahindra says it will offer intelligent four-wheel drive, a sophisticated cabin and ride comfort.

XUV.e9 expected in April 2025. The largest of the upcoming SUVs measuring 4790mm x 1905mm x 1690mm with a wheelbase of 2775mm, it takes the form of an SUV coupe with bold design cues.

The BE.05, expected in October 2025, which at 4370mm x 1900mm x 1635mm is set to be a more traditional C-segment SUV, albeit with a “racing-inspired, bold design”.

The BE.07 is due for release in October 2026, which will be above the BE.05 in size at 4565mm x 1900mm x 1660mm and the same wheelbase. Mahindra says this will provide “family space” and a “premium experience” with flexibility and configurable profiles.

Finally, the BE.09 will sit at the top of the tree. No details on size or launch date yet, but Mahindra is promising an “SUV grand tourer”.

UK-based design center Mahindra Advanced Design Europe

Called MADE for short, Mahindra has launched a new design center of excellence in Banbury, Oxfordshire – the heart of the UK’s car manufacturing region. The main objective of the center is to design and create all future Mahindra EVs and advanced vehicle design concepts with the help of the brand’s India Design Studio in Mumbai.

Mahindra has equipped the studio with all the latest tools on the market, including 3D digital and physical modeling, A-grade pavement, digital visualization and human-machine interface design. Together with VR digital modeling and a clay modeling studio, it will allow designers to conceive and build concepts for physical representation.

Once fully operational, MADE will have a team of 30 people.