Tata Harrier.EV To Challenge Mahindra XEV 9e With 75 kWh Battery And All Wheel Drive

Tata Motors, it seems, is leaving no stone unturned with the upcoming Harrier.EV. The electric SUV – Tata Motors’ biggest to date – will also have the biggest battery ever seen on an electric car from the brand, reports Team-BHP.

The Harrier.EV will pack in a 75 kWh battery, which is the largest battery ever on a Tata electric car. This should give it enough ammunition to take on the Mahindra XEV 9e SUV coupe, which made its debut with a massive 79 kWh battery pack sourced from BYD. A 450-500 kilometer real world range is likely for the Harrier.EV equipped with the 75 kWh battery pack.

In the Tata Harrier.EV’s case, the battery pack is expected to be from Gotion, a Chinese company that the automaker has been sourcing batteries for cars such as the Curvv.EV and Nexon.EV. Like the Gotion Battery on the Curvv.EV, the Tata Harrier.EV is likely to use prismatic cells. The XEV 9e, in comparison, uses a Blade battery from BYD – a technology that is said to be the gold standard when it comes to electric vehicle batteries.

While the XEV 9e is rear wheel driven, Tata Motors will go one up on the Mahindra electric SUV coupe with an all wheel drive layout for the Harrier.EV. We expect the Harrier.EV to sit on the Acti.EV platform that Tata Motors debuted with the Curvv.EV.

The Acti.EV platform is capable of supporting an all wheel drive layout, and this will be a key differentiating factor between the Harrier.EV and the Mahindra XEV 9e, which has yet to offer all wheel drive.

While the Mahindra XEV 9e is a born electric car, the Tata Harrier.EV will be a diesel engined car modified to use an electric powertrain. On how this pans out in the real world is something we can comment on only after experiencing the electric SUV. For now though, we expect the Harrier.EV to be just as competent as other  Tata electric cars such as the Curvv.EV and Nexon.EV, which have been hot sellers for the brand.

The Tata Harrier.EV is expected to make its debut at the Bharat Mobility Expo of 2025, a car and bike exhibition slated to kick off from the 17th of January. As for pricing, we expect the Harrier.EV to start from close to the Rs. 20 lakh mark, which will make it a couple of lakhs pricier than the Curvv.EV but affordable enough to give the Mahindra XEV 9e a run for its money.

What will the Harrier.EV look like?

As for design, the Harrier.EV will look very similar to the diesel powered version save for EV-specific changes such as a blanked out front grille, new bumpers revised badging and new alloy wheels that aid aerodynamics. In fact, we’ve already seen a glimpse of the Harrier.EV when Tata Motors displayed it as a concept car at the Auto Expo of 2023. The production version is expected to be quite similar.

More EV launches from Tata

Meanwhile, Tata Motors is planning a slew of EV launches in India.  The Harrier.EV will be followed by electric version of the Safari, which is essentially the 7 seat sibling of the Harrier. Then, there’s the Sierra.EV that’s lined up for launch in the second half of this year. Even the Altroz premium hatchback is said to be getting an electric powertrain in the next year or so.

Petrol Harrier also coming in

Tata Motors has been working on a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine for use in its larger SUVs such as the Harrier and Safari. The Bharat Mobility Expo could see Tata showcasing the petrol powered Harrier as well, in the run up to launch later this year. Apart from the Harrier Petrol, two other petrol SUVs are said to be in the pipeline from Tata Motors – the 7 seat Safari and the 5 seat Sierra. The Safari and Sierra Petrols are expected to follow the Harrier Petrol into the market.