Mahindra KUV100 Electric spied in India for the first time ever

Mahindra’s next new electric vehicle for the Indian market is expected to be the KUV100. There is now proof of this with an electric variant of the KUV100 spotted testing on Indian roads. The KUV Electric will be launched in India next year. It will also be showcased at the Indian Auto Expo. The KUV Electric will be the first among two new EVs that Mahindra will launch in 2018 and 2019.

Visually, there are not many clues about electrification on the spied test mule. There is no exhaust pipe visible on the EV. Details about the vehicle’s electric powertrain have not been revealed. However, considering that Mahindra outfits its electric vehicles such as the E2O and eVerito with lithium ion batteries, it is safe to assume that similar batteries will be offered even on the KUV Electric.

The electric micro crossover’s price is expected to be much higher than its petrol and diesel variants. We expect prices to start from near Rs. 10 lakhs at least. The gearbox is likely to be an automatic CVT that is similar to what is on the E2O and eVerito. Expect a range of at least 140 kilometers on the KUV Electric.

This will make it a decent short distance city car. However, a better range of 200-250 kilometers is what is required for the vehicle to be a genuine alternate to mainstream city cars that run on petrol and diesel. Such a range will give the driver peace of mind, something that is a big concern with the limited range of electric cars.

The KUV100 is also sold with 1.2 liter-3 cylinder petrol and turbocharged diesel engines. Both engines get 5 speed manual transmissions. Mahindra also has plans of introducing AMT options on both the engines. The AMT variants will be launched next year. The new variants are expected to be shown at the Auto Expo.

Via IAB